Second Chances
by jakesgirl1001
Summary: After tragedy strikes, sometimes you're given a second chance
1. Chapter 1

**SECOND CHANCES**

**Chapter 1**

Samantha Forster was heading into Phil's Fill Up to get a bottle of soda when she heard her name. She turned around and saw Bryan Ely just getting out of his SUV. Sam smiled brightly at him and waited for him to catch up to her.

"Hey Sammy, how are you?" Bryan asked her. Bryan was one of the older brothers of her friend Jake. She and Bryan had always been attracted to each other, but neither had ever acted on it due to Sam being away at college. Sam had graduated from college a couple of nights before and would turn 22 years old tomorrow.

"I'm good, how are you?" Sam responded, giving him a hug and a kiss.

"I'm terrific," Bryan answered. He held the door open for her and waited for her to go through. "Are you coming on roundup?"

"Yep," Sam nodded. "You?"

"Yep," Bryan echoed and the two of them smiled at each other. Something seemed to crackle between them.

Sam turned knowing she was starting to blush and quickly opened the refrigerated door to get out a soda. She stuck her face in a bit longer than necessary until she felt the heat in her face dissipate.

"Want something?" Sam glanced over her shoulder and asked Bryan.

She blushed again at the look on Bryan's face.

"No, not a soda, thanks," Bryan's eyes were dark in his dark face as he met her eyes.

Sam had to look away as she shut the door. She stood there wondering what to say to him.

"Tomorrow's your birthday," Bryan said.

"Yes," Sam almost whispered. "I'm sorry I missed yours and Quinn's last month."

"It's okay," Bryan assured her.

"It's not every day you turn 25," Sam said.

"No," Bryan chuckled, knowing what she was doing. "You have three years to worry about that."

"Yes," Sam blushed again. "I better pay for this and get Dad's truck home."

"Okay," Bryan responded, going with her to the front where Sam paid for her soda.

"You didn't get anything?" Sam asked.

Bryan shook his head. "I just came in to see you."

Sam's eyes met his again.

"Your change," the gal behind the counter interrupted the looks the two were passing back and forth.

"Oh," Sam blushed. "Thanks."

Sam though the gal behind the counter looked amused and she took the change and headed out of the store.

"Sam," Bryan caught up to her and put his hand on her arm to stop her.

Sam looked up at him and his mouth came down on hers, his lips soft and pliable. She was surprised, but recovered quickly to kiss him back, moving into his hard body.

"Happy birthday," Bryan whispered against her mouth.

"It's not my birthday yet," Sam whispered back.

"I won't see you again until the day after," Bryan reminded her.

"Yes," Sam smiled up at him.

"I'll try to give you one then too," Bryan said, his lips finding hers again.

Sam felt her heart beating erratically in her chest as she kissed him back. When they broke apart, they smiled softly at each other before Bryan got back into his Yukon. With a last look at her and a wave, Bryan drove towards home.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Hey Brat," Jake greeted her two days later as she got out of her father's truck.

"Hi Jake," Sam smiled at her friend.

"Happy birthday," Jake told her.

"It was yesterday," she teased.

"Happy belated birthday," Jake amended with a laugh.

"Thanks," Sam grinned at him. She looked around a bit, but didn't see Bryan so she went to the River Bend trailer and started backing horses out.

"Can you saddle Ace for me?" Cody, her seven year old brother asked.

"Sure," Sam nodded. "Get me his tack."

Cody ran and struggled to get it, but did get Ace's tack down and brought it to his sister.

"Can you put his bridle on?" Sam asked and Cody nodded.

He started to take the halter off, but Sam stopped him.

"Just put the bridle on over the halter," Sam told him. "You don't want him taking off."

"That sounds familiar," Jake commented as he walked Witch past her.

"I have no idea what you mean," Sam laughed. Jake had told her the same thing when she had first gotten back to Nevada eight years before.

"Sure you don't, Brat," Jake laughed with her.

"What's so funny?" Cody asked.

"Jake thinks he's funny," Sam said, loud enough for Jake to hear. "He's really not though."

Sam heard Jake's bark of laughter and she turned around to look at him. Instead, she saw Bryan and her eyes went straight to him. They smiled softly at each other.

"Hurry Sammy," Cody pulled on the hem of her t-shirt. "I want to ride with Daddy."

"Okay," Sam tore her eyes away from Bryan and finished putting Ace's saddle on his back before stepping to his head. Sam rubbed the bright, white star on the mustang gelding's face while Cody struggled to get into the saddle.

"Good going," Sam told him once he had managed to.

Cody grinned down at her before gathering his reins and urging Ace to where Dad was mounted on Blue.

"Need some help?" Bryan asked from the back of his paint gelding Rocky.

"No, I'm fine," Sam told him softly in response. "I need to saddle Jeepers."

"Let me help," Bryan dismounted from his horse and left him ground tied.

"You don't have…," Sam stammered, but gave up when Bryan went into the trailer to get the Appaloosa's tack. Sam went in to show him which was Jeepers and squeaked when his arm came around her and his mouth found hers.

"I've been wanting to do that," Bryan told her.

Sam leaned into him and answered his kiss.

"So sweet," Bryan murmured, tracing her bottom lip with the pad of his index finger. "We better get out of here before someone comes looking for us."

"Okay," Sam gave him another kiss before heading out of the trailer compartment.

Bryan followed her with Jeepers' tack in his arms. Together they tacked up the rat-tailed Appaloosa.

"I'll see you later," Bryan told her after she had mounted up.

"I hope so," Sam smiled at him.

Bryan rode Rocky closer to her and for a second Sam thought he would kiss her right there, not that she would have minded. Instead, he smiled at her before riding towards the herd.

Sam sighed as she watched him ride off. They certainly had jumped in with both feet. They had danced around each other for so long that once she was home for good, it seemed so natural to get together like this.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Hey Sammy," Quinn greeted her at dinner.

"Hi Quinn," Sam hugged and kissed him.

Quinn hugged and kissed her back.

"Happy belated birthday," Quinn told her.

"Thanks," Sam smiled at him. "I'm sorry I missed yours and Bryan's birthday last month."

"We understand," Quinn assured her. "You were at school. Now though, I'm going to be ticked off if you ever miss another one."

Sam laughed.

"I won't, I promise," she said.

"Hi," Bryan greeted her with a soft smile.

"Hi," Sam returned.

Quinn looked between the two of them and grimaced.

"Not fair," Quinn told his twin. Bryan and Quinn were fraternal twins.

"Sure it is," Bryan laughed.

Sam blushed causing Quinn to laugh.

"What's going on?" Jake asked as he came up.

"Ask Sammy and Bryan," Quinn said.

"What?" Jake looked at Bryan and Sam.

Sam was getting food on her plate and happened to look up at Bryan and say something to him. Jake's jaw dropped at the softness in her expression when she did so. When had this happened?

Jake felt as though someone had punched him in the stomach. Sam had always been _his_ friend and in the back of his mind, he had always hoped there would be more some day.

Instead, he saw Sam looking at Bryan the way he had always hoped she would look at him. Jake felt almost as if there was a death inside of him knowing that Bryan had already claimed her for himself.

Bryan and Quinn were so good with women, couldn't Bryan find one that wasn't the one woman in the world that Jake felt comfortable with? Jake sighed and his hands balled up into fists. He felt his world crashing down on him and there wasn't a darn thing he could do about it.

Jake had known that Bryan had been interested in Sam, but he didn't realize just how interested. He had blown it off as to just another challenge for Bryan and he would lose interest while Sam was at college. How stupid he had been!

"You okay, little brother?" Quinn asked him softly.

"Yeah, fine," Jake told him.

He felt Quinn's eyes on him and he looked at him. Jake wasn't fooling Quinn and both of them knew it.

"Why do you look like someone drown your kitten, Jake?" Nate asked as he came up behind his two younger brothers.

"Bryan's made a move on Sammy," Quinn said.

Nate looked to where Sam and Bryan were sitting on the ground, next to each other.

"Oh man, I'm sorry Jakey," Nate murmured.

Jake shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal.

Nate met Quinn's eyes behind Jake and the two of them knew better.

Jake was putting food on his plate in front of them. Nate looked over at Sam and Bryan again and couldn't help notice how comfortable the two of them looked with each other. Things had heated up pretty fast between the two of them. Jake hadn't stood a chance, especially since he was normally so shy.

Nate felt bad for his youngest brother, but quite honestly he thought Jake should have spoke up sooner to Sam. By not doing so, he allowed someone else to move in and snatch her away from him.

As Nate watched Bryan and Sam, he could see this wasn't just a conquest for Bryan. He truly cared about Samantha. It wouldn't be getting any better for Jake.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

As the roundup went on, it was pretty obvious to everyone that Bryan and Sam were getting together as a couple. They spent a lot of time together. Bryan rode a lot with Sam at the back of the herd where Sam liked to ride drag.

When they broke for the evening meal, they always sat next to each other. So close to each other that some part of them touched. They would smile softly at each other a lot and give each other a kiss.

After that, Gram watched Jake when he was around his brother and Sam and she could tell that Jake wasn't very happy about his year older brother getting together with Samantha. Every once in awhile, Gram would catch him frowning in their direction or grimacing if he witnessed them kissing. Gram felt badly for Jake, but he had never declared himself to Sam that she knew of.

Jake tried to resign himself to the fact that he had lost the only girl he had ever been interested in. From the looks that Bryan and Sam seemed to be exchanging all the time, it was just a matter of time before they slept together. The thought of that made him positively ill.

Jake vowed to try and move on with his life. He wasn't sure how he would do this since he was normally too shy to talk to another woman, let alone ask one out. Why did Bryan have to fall for _his_ girl?

By the end of roundup, Bryan and Sam were holding hands in full view of everyone. When Wyatt, Sam's father, had seen their entwined hands for the first time, he had looked first at Jake, then at his mother. Gram had shrugged and Wyatt had looked back at Bryan and Sam. They were quite smitten with each other, that was very obvious.

The night before roundup ended, Sam had finished her dinner and was sitting between Bryan's legs. Her legs were crossed in front of her, and Bryan's legs were crossed outside of hers. She leaned against his chest, her head against his shoulder. One of his arms was around her waist to hold her there against him while he ate with the other.

She laughed at something he said and the two of them exchanged looks that said much. Though they hadn't gone out on a date yet, it wouldn't take long once roundup was over.

When Bryan finished dinner, he whispered something into Sam's ear which made her smile excitedly at him and nod. Bryan loosened his arm from around Sam and she scrambled up to her feet, reaching out to Bryan to help him get up. She laughed while she did and slipped her hand into his as they took their dirty dishes to the large tub of soapy water.

"Where are they going?" Nate wondered.

Quinn looked up at his twin and shrugged.

"Probably going someplace where they can be alone for awhile," he murmured. Quinn felt Jake startle next to him and turned his eyes on his young brother.

Jake was watching Bryan and Sam leave the camp fire area and looked to be headed towards the remuda.

"It's just a matter of time, little man," Quinn warned him very softly.

Jake's eyes flew to Quinn's and he read what Quinn was trying to warn him about. Quinn saw the pain on Jake's face before the youngest Ely gave a slight nod.

Nate had witnessed the exchange and watched Jake. He hadn't said much about the growing relationship between Bryan and Sam, but Nate knew it upset him.

"Nikki has a sister your age," Nate told Jake.

"Oh?" Jake murmured.

"We'll do something once we get home," Nate said.

"The three of us will go out," Quinn continued. "Debi won't mind." Quinn had recently started dating a woman named Debi. It was early yet, but they seemed to really like each other.

Jake sighed and nodded, looking away from both of his brothers. Nate's and Quinn's eyes met, both feeling bad in a way for Jake. Nate shrugged and Quinn wondered if Jake would even go out with them and meet Nikki's sister. Both brothers vowed with their eyes to help find someone for Jake, especially now that it looked like Bryan and Sam were going to end up very serious about each other.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"Put your foot on mine and swing up," Bryan said to Sam as he held out his hand to Sam. He was riding Rocky bareback.

Sam grabbed his hand and stepped on his foot, using it like a stirrup and Bryan's right arm came around her waist, grazing her breast as he helped her up behind him.

His hand went to behind her neck to pull her face towards him as he kissed her. Sam whimpered, meeting his mouth eagerly.

Rocky danced under them, picking up on the emotions of those who were perched on his back. Bryan released Sam to get his gelding under control.

"Hang on," Bryan told her and relished the arms she wrapped around his waist. He felt her cheek against his back as he released Rocky who broke into a jog as they left the camp.

Sam scooted up further behind Bryan and loved the feeling of his hard body in her arms. He was so hard and strong, it amazed her sometimes. Of course, the whole family of guys was like that from Kit all the way down to Jake. Each of the Ely boys were like redwood trees, tall and strong. Quinn was the only one who wasn't as muscular as the rest. He took after his mother and was a bit more wiry than his brothers.

They rode Rocky together, both moving with the horse as he broke into a lope. Sam tightened her arms around the man in front of her and he turned his head slightly to look down at her. She felt his gaze and looked up at him with a soft smile on her lips.

After a couple of miles, Bryan pulled Rocky up and lifted his left leg over the gelding's neck and slid to the ground. He turned and held out his arms to Sam who did the same but slid into his open arms.

Once she had slid off, his arms tightened around her and he carried her a short distance and they sat together in the grass. Sam turned to him immediately and her lips found his. His mouth moved over hers and Sam was swept away by the feelings he was creating in her.

His arms came around her as he lay on his back, bringing Sam to lie on top of him. She wrapped her arms around his neck as they continued to kiss.

"Oh Sam," Bryan murmured against her lips.

Sam couldn't help the blush but she smiled back at him.

"Soon, Sammy," Bryan promised and Sam had no doubt as to what he was saying.

"I can't wait," Sam told him, giving him another kiss.

After that, the two were seldom very far apart from the other while they were on roundup. As Sam got ready to leave with her father, she met Bryan's eyes and the two smiled softly at the other.

"Oh the heck with it," they heard Bryan say and he came to her to give her a hug and a kiss, surprising everyone around them. Cody was making noises in the back seat of the truck.

"I'll call you later," Bryan told her and Sam nodded.

"Okay," Sam gave him another quick kiss before getting into her father's truck.

She turned to look at Cody and stuck her tongue out at him. Cody stuck his tongue out at her and the two of them started laughing.

"Good grief, you have it bad brother," Quinn told Bryan when he had returned, clapping a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah," Bryan grinned with a shrug.

Nate looked at Jake who was busy doing something that didn't need being done. He hoped his younger brother was prepared for seeing Bryan and Sam together a lot because it certainly looked like it was going to happen.

Nate had never seen Bryan like this with any woman. He was usually pretty cavalier with women that seeing him actually caring about Sam like this had surprised him.

"Ready?" he asked his brothers who all nodded and got into Nate's truck.

"Someone checked the hitch?" Jake wondered.

"I did while Romeo here was kissing Sam," Quinn teased, causing Jake to flinch noticeably. Nate noticed and frowned. He turned in his seat and gave Quinn a quelling look.

"What?" Quinn asked from the backseat where he was sitting next to Bryan.

"You're an idiot," Nate muttered. He glanced over at Jake but he was looking out the passenger window but Nate knew he wasn't really seeing anything.

Nate started towards home and the brothers didn't say much on the trip. Bryan was thinking about Sam and where he wanted to take her for their first date. Somewhere into Darton, he was sure of that. Soon.

Bryan was surprised how quickly he had fallen for her. He thought he had fallen in love with her the first time he kissed her in Phil's. She was so sweet and her passion excited him.

He had been with his share of women, like the rest of the Ely brothers, well except for Jake maybe, but he was looking forward to being with Sam.

Bryan could see himself settling down with Sam. That was a surprising thought. He had never thought about settling down with any one woman before. Sam had changed him.

He smiled softly to himself as he thought about her. Bryan felt Quinn's gaze and he glanced over at him. Quinn was grinning at him, knowing what his twin was thinking about.

The two of them looked up at Jake who was still looking out the passenger window. Bryan met Quinn's eyes and raised an eyebrow. Quinn shook his head, knowing his twin was asking how Jake was taking Bryan's interest in Sam.

Bryan was sorry about that, but he wasn't going to step aside for Jake. He hoped that Jake would some day be happy for him.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"How was roundup?" Maxine asked as the four boys came into the house.

"Great," Bryan stated.

"Pretty good," Nate said.

"Fine," Quinn answered.

Maxine looked at Jake who just walked through the kitchen towards his room. She was watching as he left the room before turning to look at her other sons in question.

"What's wrong with Jake?" she wondered.

Bryan shrugged and headed to his own room.

Nate waited until Bryan was out of ear shot.

"Bryan and Sam hooked up," Nate said softly.

"What?" Maxine almost yelped.

"Smooth, Mom," Quinn grinned at his mother.

"Bryan and Sam?" Maxine was stunned. She looked to where Jake had disappeared. "No wonder he looks so lost."

"Like someone drown his kitten," Nate stated, earning a dirty look from Maxine.

"If someone you cared about took the only girl you cared about, you'd look like that too," Maxine told him.

"That's why it's foolish to only care about one girl," Quinn joked, earning a cold stare from his mother.

Nate's mouth twitched before Maxine's cold stare turned his way. Both Quinn and Nate lost their humor when their mother gave them _the_ look.

"You two should be more supportive of Jake," Maxine grumbled. "He's got to be hurting to see Sam with his brother."

"He's never asked her out," Quinn shrugged. "He shouldn't have waited if he cared."

"Of course, you're going to stick up for your twin," Maxine said.

"Not really," Quinn responded. "Maybe I wanted her for myself."

"What about Debi?" Maxine asked.

Quinn shrugged. "I like her. Am I in love with her? No."

"Do you even know the meaning of the word?" Maxine huffed. Nate snorted.

"Of course, mother," Quinn turned on his charm. "I love you Mommy." He gave Maxine a hug and a kiss.

"Oh get away," Maxine laughed, shooing both of her sons out of her kitchen. "Go take a shower, you smell like cows."

Nate burst out laughing as he headed for his room.

"I don't know why you're laughing," Quinn told him as he followed Nate. "You smell like cows too."

"Well what do you expect after two weeks on a cattle drive?" Nate joked.

They saw Bryan coming out of the bathroom, his hair wet from his shower.

"Dang brother," Quinn told him. "That had to be one quick shower."

Jake came out of his room towards the bathroom.

"I guess I getter get in line, huh?" Quinn headed to his room.

"Listen, Jake…," Bryan put out his hand to stop Jake.

"Just make her happy," Jake shrugged out of Bryan's grasp, going into the bathroom and shutting the door.

Bryan saw the sadness in his little brother's eyes, but he still wasn't going to step aside for Jake. He cared about Sam too much.

He picked up his cell phone once in was in his room and called Sam.

"Hi," he had to smile when she answered.

"Hi," her soft voice was almost caressing.

"Did you want to go to dinner tomorrow night?" Bryan asked.

"I'd love to," Sam responded. "What time?"

"I'll pick you up at about six," Bryan said.

"I'll be ready," Sam promised.

"Has your dad said anything?" Bryan wondered.

"No, has yours?" Sam teased and Bryan laughed.

"Not yet," Bryan told her. "Of course, he's not home yet either."

"Will he be upset?"

"No, he shouldn't be," Bryan said.

"Good," he could hear the smile in Sam's voice.

"For the first time in a long time I had a great time on roundup," Bryan continued.

"Me too," Sam said.

"Know when the best time was?" Bryan asked.

"When?" Sam wondered.

"When we were out together on the range," Bryan told her quietly.

Sam blushed but smiled.

"I liked that too," Sam's voice was almost a whisper.

"Then that was the best time," Bryan reiterated. "And I enjoyed being with you like that."

"I did too," Sam fought her embarrassment.

"Soon, Sammy," Bryan promised.

"Bryan," Sam moaned his name and Bryan sighed at the sound of his name like that.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Brynna couldn't help her jaw that dropped when Bryan came calling on Sam the next night. Oh Wyatt had told her that the two of them had hooked up, but somehow she just couldn't believe it until she saw it with her own eyes.

"Hi," Sam greeted Bryan as she came down the stairs.

Bryan filled his eyes with her. Her hair was curled around her face, but braided with the braid falling over one shoulder. She was wearing a couple of tank tops with a pair of pants that stopped at her knees. The pants hugged her curves, showing to anyone who would look that Sam was a woman. Bryan looked and he knew any man with a pair of eyes would be looking also. Her body looked lithe and hard.

"You look beautiful," Bryan could barely speak but he noticed that Sam blushed.

"Thanks," she managed to whisper while looking at him through her bangs.

"Ready?" he held out his hand to her and Sam grasped it before standing on her tiptoes for a quick kiss.

"Yep," she smiled up at him as he looked down at her tenderly.

Brynna was floored as she watched them. She had no doubt that the two of them believed they were in love and if they already weren't, they would be intimate soon. As Brynna compared Bryan to his brother, who she had always thought Sam would end up with, she had to admit to herself that Bryan was so much more open with his affection than Jake could ever be.

Sam was an affectionate woman, she always had been, and Bryan sure did seem to fit her with that aspect. Brynna still wondered how Jake was reacting to all this, but Sam seemed happy which was good enough for Brynna.

She watched the couple as they walked out towards Bryan's Yukon. He had put his arm around her shoulder and Sam had leaned into him, raising her face for another kiss. Brynna couldn't ever see Jake doing that.

"Steak?" Bryan asked as he opened the passenger door for Sam.

"That's fine," Sam nodded, giving his chin a kiss and then smiling at him when he smiled down at her.

"You are beautiful, Samantha," Bryan told her again.

"You're pretty hot yourself," Sam teased and Bryan chuckled before going around to the driver's side.

They smiled at each other as Bryan pulled out and turned towards Darton. He held out his right hand to her and Sam grasped it in hers. Bryan gave her fingers a squeeze, glancing at her every few minutes to give her a warm smile.

"I'm so glad I saw you at Phil's that day," Bryan told her.

Sam smiled at him.

"So am I," she responded.

"Yeah?" Bryan asked, asking with his eyes too.

"Very much so," Sam told him, meeting his eyes.

They smiled softly at each other, telling each other much with their eyes. Sam felt flushed at what she was seeing in his dark brown eyes.

"Soon," Bryan told her again.

Sam could only nod.

They were halfway through dinner when Bryan's pager went off. Even though Sam knew all of the Ely men were volunteer firemen, the pager startled her.

She looked up at him, but he was checking the pager.

"I need to go," Bryan told her. He got the waiter's attention and asked that the food be packed up and the bill brought immediately.

"Okay," Sam was disappointed, but understood.

"I'll drive us to the fire, but then you take the Yukon home," Bryan said, then thanked the waiter who had done as he had asked. Bryan paid the bill.

"Will you be that long?" Sam pushed back her chair and stood up.

"Dad said it was a big one on the pager," Bryan handed her the bag which contained her food, then with his hand on the small of her back, guided her out of the restaurant.

"You'll be careful?" Sam asked, biting her lip, fearful for him.

"Absolutely," Bryan promised, opening the passenger door for her. "I have someone I want to see again."

Sam blushed but met his lips with her own when he leaned in for a kiss. Once he started around the Yukon, Sam shut the door and buckled herself in.

Bryan checked that Sam was belted in before grabbing a bubble light under the front seat and putting it on the roof of his Yukon. He pulled out of the restaurant and headed for the fire.

Sam hung on as Bryan drove quickly through town. With his light blinking, he went through red lights after making sure the cross traffic stopped.

"I could use one of those in rush hour traffic," Sam joked, earning a laugh from Bryan.

"It comes in handy sometimes," Bryan admitted and braked and swerved as Sam gasped when another vehicle didn't stop and almost hit them.

"You okay?" Bryan asked, not looking towards her.

"Yes," Sam assured him.

They could start to see the smoke in the distance.

"Someone's house," Bryan said and Sam was sad. There had been a fire at River Bend and they had only lost the bunkhouse. She couldn't imagine losing her home.

"Hopefully everyone got out," Bryan continued. "It's usually Jake and I who have to go in and find out."

"What?" Sam yelped. "Why?"

"We're the ones specially trained for it," Bryan shrugged. He glanced at Sam and saw the worry in her face.

"I promise I'm coming back," Bryan told her. "We still have unfinished business."

Sam blushed again but she was still worried about him.

"I worry," Sam admitted. "I always worried whenever Jake used to tell me you all went out to fires."

"You worried about Jake?" Bryan asked.

"No, I worried about all of you," Sam looked at him, making sure he understood her.

Bryan nodded, understanding what she was saying.

"I'll be by tomorrow," Bryan promised as they arrived at the site of the fire. Sam could see the orange-red flames as they burned through the house.

"Okay," Sam murmured, almost mesmerized by the flames.

"Sam!" Bryan's voice made her look at him.

"I'll be by tomorrow," Bryan told her again.

Sam let out a sigh and nodded.

"Okay," she tried to smile at him. Finally, she punched the seatbelt and scooted across the seat to wrap her arms around him. Bryan's arms found her and brought her against him.

"I promise," Bryan said against her mouth.

Sam just pressed her mouth against his, hoping he understood how much she loved him. She did love him. It had happened quickly, but it was there.

Bryan told her as he kissed her that he loved her too. Then with one more look at her, he got out of his SUV and headed towards the fire. Sam watched him until he disappeared into the crowd of firefighters and police.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

A few hours later, Sam's phone neighed indicating a text message. She was watching TV in her room and picked up the phone to look. Sam sighed, seeing it was Bryan.

_I'm fine and almost home now. I didn't want u to worry._

She let out deep breath and took another, thankful that he was all right.

_Thank u for letting me know. I was worried._

_I'll have someone drop me off to get the Yukon 2morrow. Can we go out 2morrow nite?_

_Yes!_

_G8! C u 2morrow. I'll call u 2morrow 2._

_K_

Sam lay back on her bed and hugged her pillow. She was so thankful that he was all right. It wasn't until she had actually seen that huge fire that she realized how dangerous it was for him to be a firefighter. For any of the Ely men to be firefighters.

Sam felt terrible that she didn't ask about the rest of his family and picked up her phone again.

_Jake, Quinn, Nate and your dad okay too?_

He answered a few minutes later.

_Yes, we're all fine. _

_Oh good. I'm sorry I forgot to ask._

_It's all right._

_No it's not. C u 2morrow._

Bryan looked down at the phone in his hand. He was grateful that she had inquired about the rest of his family. He knew some would say it was too soon, but he loved Samantha Anne Forster. He thought he had for a long time, but only since she had been home from school and their really getting to know each other on roundup did he know for sure.

"What are you smiling at, little brother," Quinn asked.

"Little brother?" Bryan wondered. "I was born five minutes before you were."

Quinn waved his hand in the air in the compartment of the fire truck where he, Bryan and Jake rode.

"Just because you were pushier than I was," Quinn said.

"About the only time anyone was," Jake put in.

"Now don't get involved in this little man," Quinn warned him.

"Or what?" Jake wanted to know.

"I'll tell everyone you sleep in footie pajamas," Quinn laughed.

"Go ahead," Jake told him. "I haven't slept in footie pajamas since I was three."

"Heck, I haven't slept in anything since I was ten," Bryan said.

"Does Sammy know?" Quinn asked, laughing. Quinn and Bryan didn't notice that Jake flinched.

"Not yet," Bryan shook his head. "She probably was going to find out tonight until I got called in to that fire."

Jake looked out the window into the darkness, not wanting to hear any of this. Even though he basically had told Bryan he didn't mind if he was with Sam as long as he loved her, he had been lying. Jake still cared a lot about Sam even though it looked liked she was lost to him. He certainly didn't want to hear about Bryan being with her and he tried to block it out.

"She'll be a sweet one," Quinn predicted.

"She's very passionate," Bryan murmured.

_She's been like that since I met her,_ Jake thought to himself. Then he shook himself. He wasn't going to think about her with his brother. He couldn't.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"Hi," Bryan greeted her the next day.

"Hi," Sam said to him, then waved and smiled at Quinn who had dropped Bryan off. "You're okay?"

"Fine," Bryan assured her. "Nothing happened at the fire last night."

He held his arm out to her and she stepped into it, both arms coming around her. She lifted her head for a kiss and smiled when his lips met hers.

"Six?" Bryan asked.

"That's fine," Sam told him.

"This time we'll get through dinner," Bryan promised.

"I hope so," Sam smiled while she nibbled on his bottom lip.

"We're not on call," Bryan said. "Unless there's a bad one somewhere."

"Let's hope not," Sam frowned.

Bryan's finger tip touched her bottom lip and she kissed his finger.

"I better get going or Dad will have me digging out the septic field tonight," Bryan sighed.

"Eww," Sam shuddered. "You better get home then."

"I'll see you at six," Bryan gave her another kiss.

"I'll be ready," Sam kissed him.

She wondered at the smile that spread across Bryan's face. Sam tilted her head as she looked at him.

"See you," Bryan gave her one final kiss before letting her go and getting into his Yukon.

"Bye," Sam gave him a small wave as he started it up and with another look in her direction, he pulled out and turned left towards Three Ponies.

Sam sighed. Gosh she was crazy about him. She gave a little skip in the ranch yard before heading into the barn to complete her chores.

She smiled widely at Bryan when he came to pick her up that evening. He was wearing a dark blue shirt tucked into jeans. His boots were as shiny as his hair. Sam thought he was very handsome and told him so.

"Maybe, but nothing can compare to how beautiful you are," Bryan responded.

"Stop," Sam blushed as she kissed him.

"It's the truth, Sammy," Bryan told her. He put his arm around her and she leaned into his side. She felt his lips against her temple and she sighed.

"Come on," Bryan urged her. "Let's go eat."

They teased each other during dinner, but both felt the underlying currents between the two. Sam was feeling very warm and very full between her legs. She wanted Bryan and by the way he was looking at her during dinner, she thought he was feeling the same way.

After dinner, he held out his hand to her and Sam put hers in his. Bryan's fingers tightened on hers and she looked up at him as they walked out to his vehicle.

"Sam," Bryan began.

"Yes!" Sam told him.

Bryan looked surprised. Sam blushed. She saw the teasing look in his eye.

"Don't tease me Bryan," Sam begged him, blushing deeper.

Bryan opened the passenger door and picked her up and put her on the seat, which brought her up to his level. His mouth bent to hers.

"I want you, Sammy," Bryan told her against her mouth.

"Yes," Sam murmured against his lips.

Bryan's mouth moved over hers.

"Are you sure?" Bryan asked. "I want you to be sure."

"I'm sure," Sam nodded, her lips nibbling hers.

"It's all been pretty quick," Bryan reminded her.

"When you know, you know," Sam shrugged.

They looked at each other for a few moments and then Bryan nodded. He gave her one last kiss before going around to the driver's side of his Yukon. Sam shut the passenger door and buckled herself in.

Bryan looked at her again as he started his vehicle. She leaned against the door, watching him as he drove.

Once he had secured a room, Bryan drove up to park in front of the room and turned to look at her. He asked her with his eyes if she was sure and she nodded. That was all he needed.

He came around to the passenger side and opened the door for her. His mouth met hers and he put his arms around her butt as he lifted her up and carried her into the room.

Sam slid down his body and her legs were wobbly when her feet hit the floor. His mouth met hers.

"I love you Sammy," Bryan told her afterwards. "And I loved how you responded to me."

"How could I not?" Sam gasped. "Making love to you was wonderful."

"Don't do that," Bryan pleaded.

"Do what?" Sam yelped.

"Talk in the past tense," Bryan told her, rolling over onto his back and bringing her with him. She snuggled into his chest, then lifted her head to look at him.

"I hope we'll do it again," Sam said shyly.

"Oh trust me, Samantha," Bryan gave a short laugh.

She lay her head back down on this chest and told him that she loved him. Bryan tightened his arms around her and smiled into her hair.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Bryan was smiling as he parked his Yukon and walked across the Three Ponies yard. He and Sam had spent the night together and Bryan was remembering it. She had surprised him with how passionate she had been. Little Sammy had certainly grown up.

His brothers were in the kitchen eating breakfast when he came in. They looked up at him, saw his expression and grinned. Well all but Jake did. Jake looked very uncomfortable.

Even before Bryan said anything, Jake knew where he had been all night and what he had been doing. Jake didn't necessarily think that Sam should be a virgin, but he certainly didn't like thinking of Bryan with her.

"So where have you been?" Quinn grinned at his twin.

"Darton," Bryan grinned back at him.

"With Sammy?" Nate asked.

"Of course," Bryan nodded, grabbing a piece of toast. "Where's Dad?"

"Work," Quinn answered.

"Let me change my shirt and I'll be right back," Bryan took the toast with him towards his room.

"He was looking entirely too happy with himself," Quinn noted.

"You'd be happy too if you spent the night with Sam," Nate joked.

Both brothers laughed, then noticed that Jake wasn't saying anything.

"You're not still hung up on her," Quinn said.

"No, of course not," Jake responded, missing the look that Nate and Quinn exchanged. They knew better.

"You better get used to it," Nate told him. "It sounds like Bryan's very serious about Sam."

Jake looked up at him then and Nate could see the pain in his youngest brother's eyes. Then he blanked them out.

"I'm sorry, Jakey," Nate murmured. Jake just nodded.

Bryan was back within minutes and sat down at the table with his brothers.

"Aren't you going to take a shower?" Quinn asked.

"I already did," Bryan grinned, helping himself to some eggs, fruit and coffee.

"With Sammy?" Quinn wondered.

Jake wanted to put his fingers in his ears.

Bryan nodded as he took a sip of coffee.

"And?" Quinn asked.

"She is one amazing woman," Bryan's smile was wide. "I found the woman for me, boys."

"Isn't it rather quick to say that?" Jake couldn't help himself.

Bryan gave him a look.

"Maybe, but I can't help how I feel," Bryan said softly. "I hope by this time next year, she'll be a member of this family."

Jake tried not to flinch. He felt Nate's gaze on him, but he looked down at his plate.

The other three started talking about Sam. Though Bryan was respectful, more respectful than Jake would have imagined, he didn't want to hear about Bryan's night with her.

"I'll meet you outside," Jake almost shot out of his chair.

His brothers watched as he grabbed his hat and went outside. Quinn and Nate looked over at Bryan, who shrugged.

"I know he cares about her, but it's too late for him now," Bryan said.

"Maybe he'll find someone else," Quinn responded.

"We need to get him out with Nikki's sister Devon," Nate murmured. "Maybe he'll end up liking her."

"Well set it up, big brother," Bryan told him.

"I will," Nate promised.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Jake couldn't believe he agreed to this. He was out to dinner with Nate, Nikki, Quinn, Debi and Nikki's sister Devon. Devon seemed nice enough, but they didn't have a lot in common.

Nate kept telling him to give Devon a chance and Jake vowed to. Devon was pretty. She had dark brown hair and was about 5'6" tall. She at least was taller than Samantha. Oh gosh, he had to stop thinking about Sam. She was lost to him. She belonged to Bryan.

Jake sighed. He was never any good at small talk. Heck, he knew he was never any good at any kind of talk. His lack of conversation didn't seem to bother Devon too much, at least.

He looked over at Devon and was surprised to see her smiling softly at him.

"Do you like to ride?" Jake managed to ask.

"Horses?" Devon asked.

Jake nodded.

"I love horses," Devon told him. "Nate tells me you're good with horses."

Jake tried not to blush, but he did shrug.

Devon found his blush endearing. Jake was so shy but he was quite cute. Of course, Devon knew he would be since he was related to Nate. Devon found her sister's boyfriend very cute, or should she say handsome since he was 27 years old.

Devon thought Jake seemed younger than his 24 years, mostly due to his shyness. He wasn't like any other guy her age. Most of them were stuck up, sure of themselves and not afraid to let everyone know how much of a pain in the ass they were.

She looked over at Quinn and bit back a grin. Kinda like Quinn. Though he made her laugh, he was the exact opposite of Jake and Devon liked that Jake wasn't like that.

"Do you like to dance, Jake?" Devon asked him.

Jake tried not to make a face.

"No," Jake shook his head slightly. "I don't mind watching other people dance."

"Oh," Devon murmured.

_So he didn't really seem to like anything except horses_, Devon thought to herself. That was okay since she liked horses. She liked Jake too though she didn't know how to let him know.

"Let's go to the club after dinner," Quinn suggested. Devon glanced at Jake who paused while eating but didn't seem to grimace.

"I'm game," Nikki said. "There's a new song out that I'd love to dance to."

"Is it the one you have on repeat on your computer?" Devon asked with a laugh.

"That be the one," Nikki laughed and nodded.

"What song is that?" Nate wanted to know.

"It's called _Forever_," Nikki told him.

"We'll request it if they don't play it," Nate said and Nikki gave him a kiss.

"You gonna dance, Jakey?" Quinn teased.

"Nah, I'd rather watch you make a fool out of yourself," Jake said.

There was a full second of silence as everyone looked at Jake in shock. Then the whole table burst out laughing.

"Oh my gosh, Jakey made a joke," Quinn was choking on his laughter. "There's hope for him yet."

Nate snorted and even Jake grinned.

Devon almost dropped over at the sight of Jake's face when he grinned. My goodness he was more than handsome when he forgot his shyness and let go to be himself. How had this guy slipped by the rest of the women in Darton County?

She met Nikki's eyes and the two sisters exchanged a look. Nikki saw the naked hunger on Devon's face and knew the reason for it. She had met Jake a few times and once he loosened up a bit, he was very handsome. Nikki could tell that Devon had just figured that out.

Of course, Nikki thought all the Ely brothers were handsome but there was something special about the smile of Nate's. It made her insides melt when he flashed it at her.

"Let's go," Nate stood up after they were done with their meal. The three couples left the restaurant and climbed into Quinn's Tahoe and headed for the club.

Nikki sat on Nate's lap in the backseat. Devon sat next to Jake and due to the room, or lack of room with four adult bodies in the back, she was sitting very close to Jake. She liked the feel of his hard body next to hers.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

A couple of months went by and Jake decided he liked Devon. Though he couldn't say he loved her, he enjoyed being with her. That was as much as he could give her right now. He had given up ever being with Sam, since it was obvious that she and Bryan were in love, but he still cared a lot for her.

He had gotten to the point where he could be around the two of them without being sad. It didn't mean he wasn't envious of Bryan though. Jake knew until he got over that, he really couldn't love anyone else.

He and Devon had slept together. Mostly it had been Devon's idea. Jake had been truthful that he wasn't very experienced and that he cared about someone who was in love with someone else. He hadn't told Devon who it was.

Devon hadn't cared. She had told him that she cared a lot for him and would wait for him to love her back.

Being with Devon had been very nice, but afterwards Jake had wished it was Sam. He really needed to stop thinking about her in this way. He was only hurting himself. Devon was a great girl and Jake vowed to give her a chance.

Sam meantime was nervous. She had missed a period. She hadn't told Bryan yet. Sam had wanted to take a test first and so she was driving back from the pharmacy in Darton after buying one.

She wasn't afraid that Bryan would dump her. They had talked about their future together. She just wasn't sure he would want to accelerate it with a child on the way.

Sam smiled at the thought of him. She knew they both loved each other a lot. He was very considerate of her also and not just in bed. Bryan knew she worried whenever he was called out to a fire so he always texted or called her as soon as he could to let her know he was all right.

Sam pulled into River Bend and saw Witch tied to the rail in front of the round pen. Normally Sam would love to see Jake, but she was afraid he would be able to pick up on her nervousness. Jake had always been able to almost read her mind and now was not the time Sam wanted him doing that.

She got out of Dad's truck and headed for the house.

"Hey Sam," she heard Jake's voice call out to her from the round pen. He must be training that horse that had just come in that morning.

"Hey Jake," Sam called back, stopping at the pen even though she didn't want to.

Jake glanced at her and frowned.

"How are you doing?" Sam asked.

"Good, you?" Jake rode the appaloosa towards her.

"Beautiful horse," Sam commented.

"Nice working horse," Jake told her. "Nate's looking for another horse. I may tell him about this one."

The horse snorted at Sam and she giggled at the moisture that blew into her face.

"Nothing like horse snot to wake you up," Sam wiped her face with her t-shirt.

Jake chuckled and Sam looked at him. The two friends smiled warmly at each other.

"I've missed you," Sam murmured.

"Well you've been busy with Bryan," Jake said. He felt Sam almost flinch in front of him and he looked closely at her.

Sam was afraid of his look.

"I need to go," Sam looked towards the house. "Maybe I'll see you before you go."

"Maybe," Jake murmured, watching her as she almost ran to the house. Something had been bothering her and he hoped it wasn't being around him.

When she had told him that she had missed him, he had felt saddened. He had missed her too. They had been friends for a long time and they had drifted apart a bit as they had each gone off to college. First he had left, then two years later she had left.

Jake sighed. It was too late for them to be a couple, but they could still be friends. One way or another, he would love Samantha Anne Forster for the rest of his life. He could love her as his friend and the wife of his brother if Bryan and Sam did end up married.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"Are you sure?" Bryan asked Sam later that night. He had gotten them another room in Darton, but Sam had wanted to tell him before they made love.

"As sure as I can be," Sam said. "I'm late, the test said positive but I haven't gone to a doctor yet. I thought I would as soon as I could get in for an appointment."

"What do you want to do about it?" Bryan sounded cautious to Sam.

"What do you mean 'what do I want to do about it'?" Sam yelped. "I'm not getting an abortion, Bryan."

"No, of course not Sammy," Bryan assured her.

She looked up at him in confusion.

"What I meant was, do you want to get married?" Bryan asked.

Sam shrugged and looked away.

"Look at me sweetheart," Bryan's voice was soft and Sam's eyes slid to his.

Bryan's dark brown eyes softened when her brown eyes met his.

"You have to know how much I love you Sammy," Bryan told her.

Sam nodded. "I do know that."

"Then let's get married," Bryan said.

Sam searched his eyes.

"Are you sure?" Sam whispered.

"I am," Bryan nodded. "Sammy, I knew the minute I kissed you that I wanted to marry you someday."

"Really?" Sam felt the tears in her eyes.

"Yes really," Bryan smiled at her and held out his arms.

Sam went into them immediately and Bryan brought her to lie down on the bed next to him. He kissed her, but it was almost a chaste kiss. His intention at this moment wasn't to make love to her, but to comfort her.

His arms wound around her as she snuggled into his neck.

"So what are you doing Tuesday?" Bryan asked.

Sam looked up at him and he smiled down at her.

"Nothing, that I know of," Sam answered.

"Well how about it?" Bryan raised his eyebrows.

Sam nodded, biting her lip.

"What about your family?" Sam wondered.

_Jake will be crushed, _Bryan thought to himself, but he didn't say it.

"They love you and will love you joining our family," Bryan said instead.

"I hope so," Sam murmured.

"I know so," Bryan assured her.

Sam leaned over him to kiss him. "Make love to me Bryan."

Sam pressed herself against him as their lips fused. Sam's hands were in his hair as she answered his kiss. Bryan's tongue teased hers as their kiss deepened. Sam was soon panting with need.

They stripped out of their clothes before coming together again on the bed.

"I love you Samantha," Bryan told her afterwards. Sam smiled at him, her hands cupping both sides of his face as she brought her mouth to meet his.

They nuzzled each others lips as their bodies rested.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

"Hey Sammy," Quinn greeted her two days later at the club.

"Hey Quinn," Sam threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.

"This is Debi," Quinn introduced his girlfriend.

"Hi Debi, I'm Sam," Sam smiled at the other woman.

"Yes I know," Debi smiled back at here. "Quinn talks about you all the time."

"Oh does he?" Sam looked at Quinn who grinned at her. "Later we have to get together and you can tell me what he says."

"It's a deal," Debi laughed.

"Now girls," Quinn tried to placate them.

Sam stuck out her tongue at him which surprised the girls, but had Nate, Quinn and Bryan laughing. Jake smiled.

"Nikki, Sam," Nate introduced the two.

"Hi Sam," Nikki greeted her.

"Hi Nikki," Sam smiled at her.

"I'm Devon," the last woman at the table introduced herself.

Sam slid a glance at Jake who was watching the two women.

"Hi Devon, nice to meet you," Sam said to her.

"Nice meeting you too," Devon told her.

"What do you want to drink?" Bryan asked her, putting his hand on her shoulder. Sam put her hand over his for a second and looked up at him.

"Ginger Ale," Sam told him and Bryan smiled softly at her before giving a nod and heading for the bar.

Sam watched him for a few moments. He was so gorgeous sometimes she still couldn't believe they were together. What he had ever seen in her, she just didn't understand, but now they would be parents in eight months.

She had gone to the doctor earlier today and had her pregnancy confirmed. Bryan had made an excuse at home and had gone with her. Afterwards, they decided to stick with their plan and get married next Tuesday, four days from now.

Sam looked at the three other Ely brothers sitting at the table. Next week they'd really be her brothers, or rather brothers-in-law. She hoped none of them would think badly of her for getting pregnant with their brother's child.

She glanced at Jake who was looking at her. Sam jumped in surprise. She looked down before looking up at him again. He had a small smile on his face and Sam was nervous that he had picked up that she was pregnant.

Bryan came back and put the drink down in front of Sam, kissing her as he leaned over her. Sam laughed and kissed him back.

"Come on," he grabbed her hand and pulled her out towards the dance floor.

She put both of her hands over his and followed him out, laughing the whole way.

"Those two are crazy in love, huh" Nikki said.

"Yeah, they are," Nate nodded.

"He'll end up marrying her, I think," Quinn watched his twin and his twin's girlfriend start dancing and glanced over at Jake. His youngest brother met his eyes briefly, his eyes blanked out.

"Let's dance, Quinn," Debi said, bouncing out of her chair.

Quinn put his hands on her hips and followed her out.

"Hate to leave you alone, little man," Nate grinned at Jake and went out to dance with Nikki.

"I wished you danced," Devon put her arm through Jake's now that everyone had left the table.

"I'm sorry," Jake glanced over at her.

"Sam seems nice," Devon said.

"She is," Jake nodded, glancing out and finding her in the crowd as she danced with his brother.

"She's the one you're in love with, isn't she?" Devon asked.

Jake's jaw almost dropped and he had to steel himself before he met Devon's eyes.

"Sam's been my friend for a very long time and now she's in love with my brother," Jake said.

"Maybe, but you're in love with her," Devon told him.

Jake didn't deny it, but he didn't confirm it either.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

"You look happy these days," Jake said to Sam after Bryan had asked Devon to dance.

Sam pried her eyes away from Bryan to look at Jake. She smiled at him.

"I am," she told him.

"I'm happy for the two of you," Jake hoped it didn't sound forced. He cared a lot about her and wanted the best for her.

"Thanks Jake," Sam said, wondering if he knew. "Do you love Devon?"

Jake shrugged. "I don't know," he told her truthfully.

Sam knew he couldn't love Devon if he didn't know. Sam knew real love and when you had it, you knew it and would declare it to anyone who asked.

"If not her, you'll find the right one," Sam said.

Jake only nodded, glancing out on the dance floor before looking back at Sam.

Sam looked at the couples dancing and had to smile at Bryan. Nate was probably a better dancer, but Bryan moved great out there. She sighed. The two of them planned on spending the night in Darton again and she couldn't wait.

Suddenly she saw Bryan look at his waist. Then Jake did so next to her. She looked quickly out at Nate and Quinn and saw they were reaching for the pagers on their waists also. Darn, they must have gotten paged to fight a fire.

"Gotta go," Jake bounced out of his chair.

Sam stood up as Bryan came to her.

"You have to leave," Sam didn't ask.

"Yes," Bryan put his arm around her and kissed her.

She was vaguely aware of Quinn kissing Debi and Nate kissing Nikki.

"Be careful?" Sam begged.

"Always," Bryan told her, meeting her lips again with his. Sam clung to him, loath to let him go for some reason. "I love you."

"I love you too," Sam felt tears in her eyes.

She hugged Quinn and Nate before they left also. Sam looked at Jake and gave him a quick hug too. She knew he wasn't much of a hugger, but she didn't care she gave him one anyway.

"All of you be careful," Sam pleaded.

"Yes mother," Quinn joked and Sam hit him.

That caused all four guys to laugh. Sam watched Bryan as he and his brothers headed out. Suddenly he stopped and came back to her.

"I almost forgot to give you my keys," Bryan told her kissing her again. He handed her the keys to his Yukon. "I'll text you later."

"Okay, please be careful," Sam begged, not wanting him to leave her.

"I will I promise,' Bryan assured her. He put his mouth right next to her ear. "I have a wife and baby to think of."

"My gosh, Bryan," Sam wept, clinging to him as she did.

The other women watched him, smiling softly at the two of them.

Bryan finally disengaged himself from Sam's embrace and with a final kiss and loving look at her, he ran after his brothers.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

They had met their father with the fire truck just outside of town. Quinn left his Tahoe parked in a nearby parking lot. Nate climbed into the cab of the fire truck and started driving towards the fire.

As they got closer, they could see the huge wall of flames.

"Holy crap," Quinn muttered under his breath.

"I want all of you in constant contact with each other," Luke told his sons.

All four of them nodded their heads as their eyes got large watching the fire.

They heard their father's walkie-talkie beep and Luke put it to his ear to listen. Nate thought he heard his father groan before looking back at Bryan and Jake.

"They think there are two people trapped," Luke said.

"You can't ask them to go in that," Quinn pointed.

"I can and I am," Luke told Quinn. "You'll be running the hose for them."

Quinn met his twin's and his youngest brother's eyes.

When Nate stopped the truck the three in the back got out and started getting their equipment ready. Quinn grabbed a hose and hooked it up to the nearest hydrant that wasn't being used. Nate jumped out and helped Quinn to unroll the hose.

Jake and Bryan put their oxygen tanks on their backs and tested their masks. Then they double checked each others' equipment to make sure none of the air hoses were kinked.

"Ready?" Jake asked.

Bryan nodded and the two of them started towards the building. Quinn and Nate followed behind them dragging the hose.

"Check the second floor," Luke told his sons when they came abreast of him. "Be careful."

"Yes sir," Bryan and Jake both answered.

Just before they got to the doorway of the building, Bryan put his hand on Jake's arm. Jake looked at his brother.

"Hey Jakey? Do me a favor?" Bryan asked.

"What's that?" Jake wondered.

"If something happens to me, take care of Sammy," Bryan told him.

Jake gave him a dirty look. "Knock it off."

"I mean it Jake," Bryan said. "She's pregnant."

"What?" Jake yelped.

"She just found out," Bryan went on. "We plan on getting married."

Jake was silent for a moment as he warred with his feelings.

"Promise me Jake," Bryan pleaded. "I don't want her ending up with Quinn."

"He's your twin," Jake reminded him.

"Which means I know him better than anyone," Bryan pointed out.

"Bry," Jake groaned. "This is ridiculous. Nothing is going to happen."

"Promise me Jakey, please," Bryan repeated.

Jake could see that Bryan was serious and he nodded.

"Congratulations," Jake said before he put his mask on.

Bryan put his hand on Jake's shoulder and smiled.

"Thanks little man," Bryan told him and started putting his mask on.

"You two ready?" Nate shouted to be heard over the sound of the fire.

Both Bryan and Jake nodded and Quinn turned the hose on the doorway and started moving towards it.

Bryan and Jake touched fists as they always did before they went in. The two of them laughed and went inside.

The first thing Jake noticed was the heat.

"Hot," Bryan shouted at him and Jake nodded.

As they went along, Bryan was in the lead. He touched Jake's arm when he found the stairs and the two of them went slowly up them, checking before each step to make sure the stairs were intact.

"Anybody in here?" Bryan yelled as he reached the second floor.

"Hello!" Jake was yelling the other way.

Jake turned upon hearing a rushing noise and was horrified to see a wall of flame coming towards Bryan.

"Bryan!" Jake screamed, starting to run towards his brother. "Bryan!"

He saw Bryan turn towards him. Jake gestured and Bryan turned just as the flames engulfed him.

"Bryan!" Jake screamed, falling as he tripped and fell. It had almost felt like someone had stuck out their leg to trip him. The wall of flames went over him and Jake could feel the heat through his turnouts. His feet were hot as his boots started to melt.

"Bryan!" Jake yelled again, his voice raw from all his yelling, the heat, the flames and from fear. He crawled towards where he had last seen his brother and found him by feel.

"Bryan," Jake knew he shouldn't take off his gloves, but he had to feel for a pulse. He had to know if his brother was alive or not.

The second he took off his gloves, Jake felt the burning on his skin. He ignored it to touch his brother's neck. Jake knew in his heart that Bryan was dead, but he refused to believe it. There was no pulse, just as he knew there wouldn't be.

Jake screamed in pain both from his burns and from the pain in his heart. The flames licked at him, wanting to take him too. For an instant, he put his head down and gave himself over to his grief, the tears rolling down his face, but then his promise to his brother came back to him and so did his will to live.

Ignoring the pain, the heat and the grief he was feeling, he slung his brother over his shoulders and started crawling back towards the stairs.

"Jake! Bryan!" he heard Nate shouting.

"Here," Jake screamed, hoping he was heard above the roar of the fire.

He started down the stairs on his hands and knees, overlooking the pain in his body.

"Jake?" Quinn yelled, aiming the hose at him.

As he got closer to them, they could hear the sobs that Jake didn't realize he was letting out.

"Oh my God," Nate moaned, realizing what had happened. He rushed towards Jake who was still crawling towards them with Bryan even though he could have stood up and walked by then.

Quinn dropped the hose, grabbing his twin from Jake who was reluctant to let him go.

"Let him go, Jakey," Nate tried to pry Jake's hands away from Bryan's body but Jake screamed out in pain.

Nate put his arm around Jake's body and helped him up as Quinn ran out of the building with Bryan. They could hear the cries that Quinn was uttering as he carried his fallen brother.

Luke was directing other firefighters where to start putting their hoses when he saw Quinn come out carrying a body. Luke knew it was one of his sons by the firefighter turnouts. He didn't know which son until he saw Nate with Jake.

Quinn fell to his knees and quickly got Bryan's helmet off and started unsnapping his coat. He started doing CPR as the EMTs ran towards him. Nate and Jake fell to their knees beside Quinn and Bryan, striping off their own helmets.

Jake still didn't acknowledge how much pain he was in from the burns on his body. He started giving Bryan mouth to mouth even though he knew it was in vain.

The EMTs arrived, sliding to the ground and slipped an oxygen mask on Bryan as Quinn continued CPR. A keening sound that no one ever wanted to hear again came from Quinn as he worked on his twin.

Luke glanced at one of the EMTs who looked up at Luke and shook his head. Luke fought not to let his knees buckle.

"Stop Quinn," Luke commanded.

Quinn continued to do CPR, the keening sound still exploding from him as he did.

"Quinn, stop it," Luke bent down to grab his son's arms.

"No Dad, no," Quinn was screaming, fighting his father wanting to continue to try and revive his twin brother.

Jake hung his head, his tears dripping off his face unheeded. Nate sat back stunned, brushing the hair off Bryan's forehead, not even realizing he was doing it.

None of them could believe, none of them _wanted_ to believe, that one of them was gone.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Sam was sitting at home in her bedroom, waiting for Bryan's text telling her that he was all right. As she lay on her bed she rubbed her still flat belly where their child was growing.

They still hadn't told anyone else. They had planned on getting married first then telling their families. Sam wasn't sure how her family would react, but Sam knew that Maxine would be thrilled. She smiled softly to herself.

Sam loved Bryan more than she thought she could love someone. They were so happy together. She had been nervous to tell him about her pregnancy, wondering if he would think she had gotten pregnant on purpose.

Instead, he had been happy, truly happy and couldn't wait to marry her. They had planned on marrying this Tuesday, four days away.

She frowned, looking at her phone. Why hadn't he text her? Sam looked at the clock thinking he should be either home or on his way home by now. For the first time she felt a flutter of fear around her heart, but she quickly pushed it down and away. He was just tired, busy or hurt? No, he wasn't hurt. He was tired and busy. He would text her when he could. He always did.

Sam thought she heard her family's voices downstairs. Maybe Bryan came by afterwards to see her. She got up from the bed and started out of her room. She had definitely heard her family's voices, she could hear them now.

She came down the stairs quickly, hearing Gram's cry.

"What's going on?" Sam asked.

"Sam," Dad stood up quickly, blocking her view of the TV.

"What's the matter, Gram?" Sam looked at her grandmother.

That's when she heard Brynna actually crying.

"What happened?" Sam's confusion was on her face as she stood there wanting someone to answer her.

"Samantha," Dad's voice cracked and Sam looked up at him in confusion. Were those tears in his eyes?

Sam took a step back, keeping her eyes on his.

_A Darton County volunteer firefighter lost his life today at a fire that engulfed the Sutton Place apartments._

Sam took a step to the side and stared at the TV, seeing the inferno. She saw a firefighter carrying someone and then two more stumble out of the building. The firefighter who had carried the person out of the building fell to his knees. The sounds coming from him, grated on Sam's nerves but she couldn't look away.

_25 year old Bryan Ely, son of Chief Lucas Ely, lost his life when he was overcome by the fire._

Sam started shaking her head, not trusting her ears or what her eyes were seeing on the TV screen. She recognized Jake immediately as he started mouth to mouth on the fallen firefighter. Was that Quinn doing CPR?

_His brother Jacob, received second degree burns trying to save his brother in the fire._

_Bryan Ely is survived by his parents and five brothers._

They showed a picture of Bryan on the TV and Sam started screaming. No, he couldn't be dead. He was the father of her unborn child. They had just been together earlier that evening. He couldn't be dead.

She didn't hear her family trying to calm her down. She didn't hear her screams. All she heard over and over in her brain was that Bryan was dead.

The room started to swim before her eyes as the blackness moved in. It beckoned her and she gave herself to it as she fell to the floor in a dead faint.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Sam walked down the aisle of the church four days later, being supported by Dad on one side of her and Brynna on the other. This was the first time she had been out of the house since hearing the news of Bryan's death.

She had wanted to go to the funeral home, but her family wouldn't let her. She had pleaded and begged, but they had stood firm. They had wanted to give her drugs to calm her down, but Sam had refused for the baby. She had to have this baby!

Now, she stared at the closed flagged draped casket in the front of the church. A picture of Bryan in his official firefighter uniform was the first thing she saw. Next was the picture of a smiling Bryan also on top of the closed casket.

_Oh God please_, Sam begged. _He can't be dead. Not vital, fun loving, strong and loving Bryan. Please God no._

Sam knew that no amount of begging would change the result.

"Come on, honey," Dad tried to turn her towards a pew. Sam resisted, biting back a sob.

Instead she stood in the middle of the church, staring at the casket which held the man she loved. Today was the day they would have married. Instead, she was burying him.

She wasn't able to bite back the next sob. She didn't know and she didn't care that everyone else in the church, sans one, was watching her.

Only Maxine didn't look at Sam. Maxine was also in a state of shock and hanging onto Luke as if she too would die if he let her go.

Jake, Quinn, Nate, Adam and Kit did watch Sam from the first pew where they sat. They were their brother's pallbearers and each of them couldn't think of something they wanted to do less. They too were all in shock though they hid it better than their mother did.

Jake especially looked at Sam, remembering what Bryan had told him. He wondered if Sam would be able to carry Bryan's child in the state she was in. She looked as devastated as he felt. He hadn't talked to her yet about what Bryan had told him. He would do it soon.

He turned back towards the front of the church as the minister came in. The church was packed with people who knew Bryan and firefighters from around the state of Nevada who had come to honor Bryan who had been killed in the line of duty.

Jake's hands hurt terribly, but he didn't care. His heart hurt more. He blocked out most of what the minister said, thinking instead of his brother. He looked down as his eyes filled with tears. His brother couldn't be dead.

Jake had thought a lot about what had happened that night. For some reason, he had tripped over something that hadn't been there and the fireball had gone right over him. If he hadn't tripped, then both of them would be in caskets in the front of the church right now.

He didn't know what it meant, he only knew he had been given the chance to live. Jake vowed to do as his brother had wished and that was to take care of Sam and her and Bryan's child.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Sam jumped as the bagpipes started playing _Amazing Grace_. That signaled the end of the funeral. She couldn't remember any of it. She had simply stared at the pictures of Bryan and begged him to come back to her.

She felt her father's and Brynna's hands on her arms as they helped her to stand. Kit, Adam, Quinn and Nate each lifted a corner of Bryan's casket while Jake stood in front and preceded it down the aisleway towards the door of the church. Nate, Quinn and Jake were in their official uniforms. That was when Sam noticed the bandages on Jake's hands.

His eyes slid to hers briefly before staring straight ahead again as he walked solemnly, leading his brothers. Sam noticed the redness of Jake's eyes and knew he had been crying. She didn't think she had ever seen Jake cry before.

There was no doubt that Kit, Adam, Nate and Quinn had been crying. Quinn was trying not to cry now as he carried his twin towards the fire truck that would take his body to the cemetery.

Maxine and Luke followed the casket. Maxine saw Sam and held out her arms to the younger woman. The two hugged and their sobs could be heard throughout the church, even with the bagpipes playing.

"Come with us," Maxine said to Sam.

Sam nodded and the two women clung to each other as they walked down the aisleway. Sam's family followed closely behind and the rest of the mourners soon followed.

Sam watched as Bryan's brothers gently slid his casket onto the fire truck with military precision. She didn't see any spectators, those who wouldn't fit in the church or the news cameras and reporters. All Sam saw was the casket carrying her beloved.

"I'm going to walk with the boys," Luke told Maxine, who nodded.

Sam watched as he fell into step with his five remaining sons behind the fire truck as it made the trip to the cemetery. She and Maxine got into the waiting limousine which followed the fire truck.

The streets of Darton were lined with citizens who came to honor their fallen firefighter. It seemed to Sam as if she were watching this apart from herself. She heard Maxine's quiet crying, she heard the blasted bagpipes that were already grating on her nerves. However, she knew she was there and why she was there but it felt as if she weren't there. At any minute, she expected to have a text from Bryan telling her he was on his way home and all right after the fire.

Of course, that wasn't going to happen. He was gone. Sam tried to face that fact. She had to face that fact.

Mile after mile they followed the Ely men to the cemetery. At the gravesite, Sam sat next to Maxine. Sam's tears ran down her face unheeded. She didn't care at this point. She flinched when the guns shot off their tribute to the father of her unborn child. Sam didn't realize when she touched her belly. Someone else did.

Jake saw her and the sadness that Bryan wouldn't see his child born almost overwhelmed him. He made a vow then and there that he would raise it as his own and the child would know what a wonderful man his father had been.

Maxine completely lost it when the flag draping Bryan's casket was handed to her. Sam couldn't look. She looked away quickly, right into the eyes of Bryan's youngest brother.

Sam took comfort in the dark brown eyes locking with hers. The two of them exchanged their pain and grief.

Devon, standing on the opposite side with her sister Nikki, saw the exchange and knew that she had lost Jake.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Jake came to see Sam a few days later. She had basically locked herself in her room and cried. Wyatt told Jake this when he had come over. Her family was worried about her. Only Jake knew that Sam was expecting Bryan's child.

As he went up the stairs to her room, his heart was heavy. She probably wouldn't like what he was about to tell her, but he had made a promise to his brother.

He knocked gently and his hand hurt from the contact. His burns were healing, but his hands were still sore.

"Go away," Sam's broken voice came to him.

"Sam, open up," Jake told her.

"Jake?" he heard her voice squeak.

"Yes," he answered.

The door was jerked open and she threw her arms around his neck. Jake was a bit surprised, but then again Sam had always been demonstrative with her feelings. He hugged her back and the two friends held each other in their grief.

Sam cried as she held her friend. She felt Jake's hand rub her back as her tears wet his shirt. One part of her realized he was doing something he had never done before; accepting a hug from her and actually hugging her back.

"Come on and sit down," Jake brought her over to her bed, sitting her down before going to the door and shutting it before coming to sit down next to her.

"I won't ask how you are," Jake murmured, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I miss him so much, Jake," Sam's weeping tore at his heart.

"I know," he nodded, missing his brother too.

"I was with him, um, you know," Jake managed to tell her.

"Oh Jake," Sam put her hand on his arm and he nodded.

"He, uh, he didn't suffer, if that helps you," Jake got out. The image of his brother being engulfed in a fireball flashed before his eyes. No, at least Bryan hadn't suffered. It had been quick, the fire sucking the air out of his lungs immediately, killing him before it burned him. Jake hung his head at the memory. It was something that would haunt him for the rest of his life.

Jake heard Sam's soft sobbing and he put his arm around her. Sam leaned into him, not bothering to wipe her eyes.

"We, uh, talked before we went into the building," Jake went on.

Sam lifted her tear filled face to look at him.

"He told me," Jake almost whispered.

At first Sam didn't understand, and then he saw she did.

"That I'm pregnant," Sam's voice cracked.

"Yes," Jake nodded slowly.

They didn't say anything for awhile. Both remembered Bryan as he had been and missed him.

"It was almost as if he knew," Jake was whispering, almost to himself. "I couldn't understand why he was saying that. Then afterwards I did understand."

"What?" Sam was confused.

"He asked me to take care of you and his child," Jake turned to look at her, seeing the shock in her face.

"Oh Bryan," Sam sobbed and Jake had to look away as he too felt the tears in his eyes.

"I want you to marry me, Samantha," Jake finally got out. "I'll raise the child as my own and he or she will carry our last name."

"Jake, I…," Sam began, overwhelmed. This was all happening too quickly.

"The marriage will be in name only, of course," Jake assured her. "For the sake of Bryan's child."

"I can't let you do this," Sam shook her head. "You deserve happiness in your life."

"I promised my brother before he died," Jake reminded her. "My own feelings aren't important in regards to that."

Sam knew Jake was honorable, that he was offering her this because Bryan had asked him to.

"Jake," Sam tried again, but had to break off and start crying again.

Jake let her cry, still holding her tight against his side as she cried for his brother. He felt the tears in his own eyes as he rested his chin on the top of her head. My gosh, he missed his brother.

Finally Sam nodded. Jake sighed a long-suffering sigh.

"When?" Sam gulped as she tried to get her emotions back under control.

"Whenever," Jake said, leaving it up to her.

"Will you tell your family first?" Sam asked, looking up at him. Her red, tear filled eyes tore at his heart.

"I had thought not to," Jake told her. What Bryan had told him about not letting Quinn near Sam echoed in his mind. Quinn would feel obligated to marry Sam for his twin and Jake didn't want that happening. Both Bryan and Jake knew what Quinn was like and they worried that Quinn would end up hurting Sam, though not really on purpose.

"I can't just show up at Three Ponies," Sam said, shaking her head violently. Oh gosh, how would she ever be able to go there and not immediately think of Bryan?

"I'm not sure I can do this," Sam told him, her voice catching as she started to weep again.

"I know," Jake responded. "I think of him every time I pull into the yard or walk through the house."

_Of course he would_, Sam thought. As close as she had been to Bryan, loving him the way she did, it would be worse for his family who had seen him every day.

"I keep thinking he'll come around a corner and it's all been a dream," Jake confessed, something else he never did to her. He hung his head.

"I'm so sorry, Jake," Sam murmured. "We both love him so much."

Jake could only nod. Sam felt him almost shake himself before he lifted his head and looked at her, the question of when still hanging between them.

"The day after tomorrow would give me enough time," Sam said, the tears flowing again. She should be planning on marrying Bryan, not Jake.

Jake simply nodded. He left her a little while later, promising to pick her up the day after tomorrow early in the morning. He would drive them to Reno and they'd be married quickly and secretly for the sake of the child she was carrying.

As Jake left the house, he could almost feel his brother's presence. He looked to his right quickly and could have sworn he saw Bryan for a instant, a broad smile on his face.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

Sam spent the next day doing a lot of soul searching. She didn't want to marry Jake, but knew it would be the best thing for her and her unborn child. She knew that Bryan had wanted her to do this, otherwise he never would have talked to Jake about it. Sam had to think of her child.

The child would be raised as an Ely as it deserved to be. As it would have been had Bryan not been killed.

She called Jen to talk it over with her. Jen was the only person besides Jake who knew that Sam was pregnant. The girls were still as tight as when they were in high school even though Jen still had another two years before she graduated from veterinary school.

"Wow, that's unreal," Jen told her after Sam explained what was going on.

"It's just like Bryan though to worry about us," Sam sniffed, wiping away another tear.

"Maybe, but are you sure you want to actually marry Jake?" Jen asked. "Sam, this is legal if you do this."

"I know," Sam murmured. "Jake would never take advantage. He's been my friend for so long. Just as I know you'd never take advantage."

"Your son or daughter would have Bryan's name anyway," Jen conceded. "Or rather, Jake's name which is the same as Bryan's."

"Yes and that's important to me," Sam said. "If it's a boy I want to name him after Bryan."

"You better check with Maxine before you do that," Jen warned. "It might be too painful for them."

Jen heard Sam's soft sobs.

"Oh honey, I'm so sorry," Jen murmured. "I can't imagine how hard this all is for you."

"I just miss him so much," Sam said through her tears. "I want to just pick up the phone and hear his voice again or touch him."

"I know," Jen said softly.

"I'll never touch him again, Jen," Sam wailed and Jen felt her own tears drip down her face. Sam's pain was overwhelming.

"I'm so sorry, Sam," Jen told her.

The two friends cried together on the phone. Finally Sam wiped her eyes and sniffled again.

"You've been through so much in a week and now you have to decide this," Jen said.

Sam nodded even though she knew Jen couldn't see her.

"I don't really want to live at Three Ponies without Bryan there, but I do owe it to our child," Sam murmured.

"You can maybe live part time at both ranches," Jen suggested.

"That's an idea," Sam mused.

"You'll figure it out," Jen told her. "I won't be home until Thanksgiving, but we'll definitely get together then. If you feel like it before then, come on up. You know I'd love to see you."

"I will Jen," Sam promised. "Depending on how I feel, of course. I'm hoping I don't end up with morning sickness."

"Oh gosh," Jen muttered. "I hope not for your sake."

"Do you think I should tell my family before I leave with Jake?" Sam asked.

"You would know that better than I would," Jen responded. "I don't think your dad is going to be thrilled you're pregnant, but I don't think he'll be as bad as if, uh…"

"As if he would be if Bryan were alive," Sam finished. "You think he'll not say much because of what happened."

"Well I would hope," Jen said.

Jen could hear Sam's soft sobs again.

"I miss him so much, Jen," Sam's voice was almost unrecognizable.

"I know," Jen could only say, feeling Sam's pain. She wished she could take Sam's pain away from her, but she knew she couldn't.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

When Sam's phone neighed sometime later, she let out a cry and grabbed it. Then she remembered that it couldn't possibly be Bryan and she dropped the phone and bawled.

After she had wiped away her tears, she picked her phone back up and saw it was Jake.

_I'll pick u up at 5 am_

Sam sighed.

_K_

She threw her phone down and lay on her stomach, her head pressed against her pillow as she cried. She missed Bryan so much. All she wanted to do was hear his voice, smell his smell, feel his touch against her skin. She would never be able to do any of that again.

Why couldn't she have stopped him from going to that fire that fateful night? Shouldn't she have tried more? Would he have listened?

Sam knew the answer to that. No he wouldn't have. Even knowing what would happen, Bryan would have gone to that fire. So would have Jake, Nate or Quinn. It was just something built into the Ely boys. They did their duty no matter what.

Now it was Sam's turn. She would marry Jake, not out of duty necessarily but because it would be best for her child.

Sam got up off her bed and laid out the clothes she would wear when she married Jake. Though there was no way she would wear white, she couldn't wear black on her wedding day either. She went through her closet and found a pretty blue dress that she had bought while at college, but hadn't worn very often. She had a light sweater she could wear with it since it would be cool that early in the morning.

She grabbed a pair of sweats and took them into the bathroom to put on after her shower. Just before she started the shower, she changed her mind and decided to take a bath instead. Sam took out her foaming bath salts and tossed them in under the hot water. Instantly the bathroom was filled with the scent of lavender. Lavender was supposed to be calming and Sam was counting on that.

Sam climbed into the tub and put her head against the wall. She left the water on until it touched her chin. She had so many bubbles she had to clear a space so her head wouldn't be covered.

She leaned back and shut her eyes. She immediately thought of Bryan and felt the tears track down her face. Sam could see his smiling face with her eyes shut. She saw the way he laughed when he found something funny. She could see the way his eyes softened when he looked at her.

The whimper bubbled out of her as she remembered. What she wouldn't give to be able to spend just another hour with him.

Her tears fell quicker than she could wipe them away and she finally just gave up. She let the tears flow unheeded, hoping it would help cleanse her grief. She would miss him for the rest of her life. She had no doubt of it.

Sam ran her hands over her belly.

"Hey baby," she whispered. "Let me tell you about your daddy."

And then she did.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Sam saw the headlights before she saw Jake's truck. She silently slipped out of her house and hurried to get into the truck before anyone at River Bend woke up and saw her.

Jake watched her as she approached his truck. She was so beautiful in the dress and sweater she was wearing. He found himself wishing that Bryan could see her. Then he shook his head. Of course, if Bryan could see her, Jake wouldn't be needing to be doing this. He sighed.

He had had a hard time sleeping last night. Jake had thought about Bryan all night. He questioned whether or not he should be doing this, but Jake had finally gotten the feeling that this was what Bryan wanted him to do. Jake had gotten out of bed this morning at peace.

Jake knew he cared a lot for Sam but he would deny it all and give her up forever, if it would bring his brother back. He knew it wouldn't. He knew he was doing what he could for Bryan, Sam and their unborn child.

Though it would be difficult for Jake to live the rest of his life in a loveless marriage, he would do it for Bryan, Sam and their unborn child. It was this thought that had almost made him call it all off.

Neither of them greeted the other when Sam opened the passenger door of his Avalanche. Jake waited for her to buckle herself in before pulling out for the two hour drive to Reno.

"You can sleep if you need to," Jake told her, knowing how hard it was for her to get up this early.

"I might do that, thanks," Sam responded, not looking towards him.

The silence stretched between them, becoming uncomfortable for Sam. She glanced at Jake, studying his profile as he drove. She cleared her throat and saw him glance at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Um, if, um, er, after this, um, want to, uh, find a woman, oh gosh," Sam blushed and turned away.

Jake rewound what she had said. Then he paled. Gosh, what could he say to that? Immediate thoughts of Devon went through his head. He had called her to break it off, not explaining why, but getting the feeling he didn't need to.

The silence stretched between them again.

"Okay," Jake finally said, earning a startled glance from Sam.

Well she had told him it was okay, what had she expected? He was a guy after all. She couldn't expect him never to have sex just because their marriage was of convenience.

Sam looked back out the window and felt herself getting drowsy. She leaned her head against the window and shut her eyes, asleep within minutes.

Jake glanced over at her and saw her sleeping. He worried that she would bang her head if he hit a bump, but he also didn't want to wake her up. He doubted she had slept much since Bryan's death and she needed her sleep for the months to come. Her child needed her to sleep.

As he drove, he thought about everything that had happened since she had graduated from college. Thinking about it made his head spin. She had fallen in love with his brother. Jake had realized he had lost her only to have his brother die and Jake driving the two of them to get married. It wasn't what Jake had expected.

What was the saying? Be careful what you wish for. Jake let out a sigh. Well he had gotten what he had wanted, which was Sam, but at a terrible cost.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

"How are your hands?" Sam's voice startled Jake. He hadn't realized she had woken up.

"They're fine," he told her. He heard her snort and looked over at her.

"Somehow I doubt they are fine," she looked at the red blisters.

"They're better even now than they had been," Jake said with a shrug. "It will take awhile, but they'll heal."

Sam nodded softly, noting that they had arrived in Reno.

"If, ah…," she started and looked away for a moment.

Jake raised an eyebrow and Sam bit back a sob. He looked so much like Bryan when he did that.

"If, ah, if you changed your mind…," Sam tried again.

"I haven't," Jake assured her. "You?" He looked over at her.

"No," she shook her head. "I know it's what Bry…" Her voice broke off at his name. She took a deep breath. "I know it's what Bryan had wanted and what's best for our child."

Jake pulled into the first chapel he saw and looked over at her again. She nodded to let him know it was fine.

He shut off the truck and Sam unbuckled her seatbelt and got out.

"I would have helped you," Jake told her as he came around the truck.

"I didn't want to hurt your hands," Sam informed him.

"Thanks," Jake murmured, but he put his hand on her waist as they went in together.

They each met the eyes of the other, telling each other that they could back out if they wanted to. When neither did, they walked up to put in their names and Sam filled out the paperwork.

It took Jake awhile to sign his name since it hurt his hand to grip the pen.

"I'm sorry, I should have forged your name for you," Sam tried to tease, but it fell flat.

"We'll be all right, Brat," Jake told her and Sam's eyes welled up at the nickname. It was old and familiar and just what she needed right now.

Jake saw her tears and was confused.

Sam wished he was a hugger because she really needed one. She saw Jake's eyes widen just before he put an arm around her.

"I hate when you do that," Sam murmured, trying to get her tears under control.

"I thought you wanted me to hug you," Jake teased and Sam gave him a crooked smile as she tried to smile through her tears.

"Thank you Jake," Sam looked up at him, suddenly very serious.

"Please don't," Jake begged her and Sam understood he too was missing his brother.

She nodded just as their names were called. Jake looked down at her and she nodded with a sigh.

Together they went into the chapel and stood before the man who would marry them. Sam tried to concentrate on the ceremony, but she looked over at Jake and had to wish it was his brother standing in his place.

Jake knew what she was thinking and it didn't bother him. He too wished at this point that Bryan was standing in front of Sam instead of him. That would mean that Bryan hadn't died in that fire.

They exchanged the cheap bands that had come as part of the price of the ceremony. Sam looked down at hers and couldn't help but hope it didn't turn her finger green.

"Do you, Jacob Dylan, take Samantha Anne to be your lawfully wedded wife?" the man asked.

Jake looked at Sam who was looking up at him through her bangs. She wasn't being coy, she was trying not to cry, he knew.

"I do," Jake murmured.

"Do you, Samantha Anne, take Jacob Dylan to be your lawfully wedded husband," the man asked her.

Sam lifted her head to look at her friend. Once again Jake was standing with her when she needed him. She loved him for that and told him so with her eyes.

"I do," Sam whispered.

"Then by the power vested in me by the state of Nevada, I now pronounce you husband and wife," the man told them. He turned to Jake. "You may now kiss your bride."

Sam could see Jake sort of freeze, so she leaned in to kiss his cheek. She knew that surprised everyone in the chapel, all of whom had expected a more passionate kiss from a couple who had just married, but she didn't care.

They left the chapel, now married to each other. Both thought of the man who should have been there.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

"Will an hour give you enough time?" Jake asked as they neared River Bend.

"Can we make it 90 minutes?" Sam looked over at him.

"Sure," Jake nodded. "It will give me enough time to tell Mom and Dad. If you need more time than that, call me or text me and let me know."

"Okay," Sam's eyes were locked on his.

Jake met her eyes as he turned into the ranch yard. They saw Blaze starting to bark before he recognized the truck and who was in it.

"Call me if you need me before that too," Jake said.

"I will but I'm sure it will be all right," Sam responded.

Jake nodded as he parked his truck.

"Thank you Jake," Sam told him again.

Jake shrugged.

"I am thankful," Sam insisted.

"Okay," he murmured. Jake watched as Sam got out of the truck and headed towards the house. He had a hard time thinking of her as his wife.

Jake knew she really wasn't. She was only his wife because the man she had wanted to marry had died. Jake was second best, at least.

As he sat in his truck, he wondered again if he was prepared to live his life in a loveless marriage. That's exactly what he had signed up for and he knew it. He sighed a long-suffering sigh and headed towards Three Ponies.

When he pulled into the ranch, he looked towards the pasture and saw Chip and Digger gone. Good. That meant Nate and Quinn were out on the range. He wanted to talk to his mother before he had to explain to them what was going on.

"Hi honey," Maxine greeted him as he came into the big stone house. "You looked awfully dressed up. Where have you been?"

"I took Sam to Reno," Jake told her, sitting at the kitchen table looking up at her.

"What? Why?" he could see his mother's confusion.

"We got married," Jake said.

"You what?" Maxine yelped.

"She's pregnant with Bryan's child," Jake was quick to explain.

Maxine collapsed in a chair across the table from him. Her hand waved in the air as the tears welled up in her eyes. "Start from the beginning."

Jake told her what had happened between Bryan and him the night of the fire. Bryan had asked Jake to watch over Sam and his child if anything happened to him. Then Jake explained his conversation with Sam and how they agreed to go ahead and get married as she had planned to do with Bryan. This way her unborn child would be an Ely as Bryan had wanted it.

"His child," Maxine murmured, overcome by the reality that Bryan had a child on the way.

"He didn't want Quinn with Sam," Jake went on.

Maxine met her youngest son's eyes.

"No, I can see where he wouldn't," Maxine nodded. "I love Quinn dearly, but he's not the most monogamous person on the planet."

"Mom!" Jake yelped. Jake wasn't ready to discuss his or his brothers' sex lives with his mother.

"Don't 'mom' me," Maxine told him. "I know my sons, young man. I know that you all aren't innocent. I don't need details of course, but I'm not stupid, Jake."

Jake squirmed in his chair.

He heard his mother sniffle and looked at her, surprised to see the tears in her eyes.

"You can't imagine what it is like to lose a child," Maxine told him, wiping her eyes. "At least Bryan will live on though his child."

Jake nodded.

"Which is why I married Sam," Jake said. "To make sure the child had our last name."

Maxine gave him a look. She knew her youngest son was either kidding himself or lying to himself. Nothing could have made Jake marry someone if he didn't care something for them. Not even a promise to his dead brother. She knew that Jake had always cared for and loved Sam, even before he had realized it himself.

"We'll put her in Bryan's room," Maxine announced. "Unless she wants to share yours of course."

Jake's head shot up to look at his mother.

"I doubt that," Jake murmured.

"Hmm," Maxine mused, still watching her youngest son. He started squirming in his chair again.

"I've got baby albums of Bryan that Sam can have so she can share them with his child," Maxine continued.

Maxine stood up and hugged her son.

"Thank you, Jake," Maxine told him. "Bryan would be happy to know you cared enough about him and Sam to do this."

Jake nodded.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

Sam was surprised at the reaction of her family to her news. Not even Dad was upset at the announcement of her pregnancy. If anything, they were more upset that she felt she had needed to get married.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Brynna asked.

"It's already been done," Sam reminded her.

"It can be annulled," Dad pointed out.

Sam shook her head.

"No, I want Bryan's child to carry his name," Sam looked down, trying to control her tears. "This was the only way I could see to do it. Plus, Bryan wanted this in case something had happened to him."

"Eerie," Brynna murmured.

"Almost as if…," Gram began before glancing at Sam.

"Jake said the same thing, Gram," Sam told her.

Gram only nodded.

"Do you need help getting your things together?" Brynna asked.

"I need boxes and stuff," Sam nodded. "A lot of my things I'll leave here for now, if that's okay."

"Of course it is, honey," Dad gave her a hug.

Sam headed up the stairs with Brynna as Gram went to find some boxes for the things she would be taking with her.

Sam started taking her clothes out of her closet while Brynna started emptying Sam's dresser drawers. As they worked, the two women chatted.

"You'll need maternity clothes," Brynna said.

"Not for awhile, I don't think," Sam answered.

"You're small though," Brynna pointed out. "You'll show sooner than someone who is bigger, say like I did."

Sam looked at her stepmother.

"I have some clothes if you need them," Brynna assured her. "We can take up the hems."

Sam nodded and murmured her thanks.

"How are you doing, Samantha?" Brynna decided to ask straight out. When Sam looked up at her, Brynna continued. "You've been through so much lately."

Sam felt the tears prick her eyes as she nodded.

"I'm numb," Sam admitted.

"That's understandable," Brynna came to the younger woman and put her arm around her. Sam was thankful for the arm and started to sob.

"Oh honey," Brynna put her other arm around Sam as well and let her stepdaughter cry as much as she wanted. Brynna felt the tears prick her own eyes. "You've been so brave."

"I'm not brave," Sam hiccupped, her words almost not understandable because of her sobbing.

"You're very brave," Brynna corrected. "Not too many young women, or any woman, could go through what you've been through and not crack."

"I am cracking," Sam said. "All I do is cry."

"Go ahead and cry, honey," Brynna told her. "It will help your heart heal."

"It will never heal," Sam shook her head. "I miss him so much."

Gram came in with the boxes, meeting Brynna's eyes above Sam's head. Wordlessly, she joined the other two women in a hug. Sam felt her grandmother's arms around her too.

The three women stayed in a hug for quite awhile. Suddenly they heard the knock on the door.

"Lands, that must be Jake," Gram disengaged herself from the hug and went down to answer the door. Wyatt had taken Cody out on the range so it was just the women at home.

Sam stepped out of Brynna's arms and started wiping her face.

"Here," Brynna handed Sam some tissues and wiped her own face.

"I need to get out of this dress," Sam hiccupped.

"I'm sure Jake will wait," Brynna told her. Sam nodded and started stripping off her clothes. Brynna noticed that Sam brushed her hands over her belly before finding a pair of jeans to pull on and then a long-sleeved t-shirt.

Brynna smiled softly to herself. She had done the same thing when she had first found out she was pregnant. Brynna started putting Sam's things in the boxes that Grace and brought up.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

Jake was sitting at the table having a piece of vanilla cake waiting for Sam. He wasn't impatient, understanding that this was difficult for Sam.

He looked up when he heard the footsteps on the stairs. Sam was coming down in a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt, carrying a couple of boxes. Her hair was in pigtails, reminding him of when she was a kid. However, she wasn't a kid any longer. She was carrying the child of his brother.

Jake stood up to take the boxes from her. At first he thought she would refuse to let him, but she sighed and gave them up. He made the first of several trips out to his truck to pack them in the back.

Finally, he carried the last box and went back into the house. Sam was hugging her Gram and Brynna. All three women were crying and Jake rubbed the back of his neck. His hand hurt a bit from carrying the boxes, but he ignored it.

He happened to feel the looks from the women and he looked up at them. They were looking at him with what looked like amusement on their faces through their tears.

"Ready?" Jake asked.

Sam nodded and started towards the door.

Jake felt a hand on his arm and stopped to look at Gram.

"Thank you, Jake," Gram murmured, quietly.

Jake gave her a look of confusion, not sure what she meant.

"Taking care of Sam this way for Bryan," Gram clarified. Her eyes told him she knew he loved her granddaughter.

Jake flicked his eyes to Brynna, who was also telling him with her eyes that she knew and then looked back at Gram. He nodded once and followed Sam out of the house and to his truck.

Gram and Brynna stood on the porch to watch them.

"Do you think one day Sam will come to love Jake back?" Brynna asked her mother-in-law.

"I hope so," Gram said as she and Brynna waved at Sam as Jake pulled out. "She needs someone to love and Jake is the best one for her now."

Both women watched as Jake turned left and drove his new wife to her new home.

Sam was worrying her bottom lip as they got closer to Three Ponies.

"You're going to bite a hole in it," Jake's voice came to her.

"What?" she yelped, jumping in her seat.

"Your lip," Jake said, looking over at her.

"Oh sorry," Sam murmured, glancing at him.

"Why are you so worried?" Jake asked. "You know us."

"I'm not worried, exactly," Sam told him.

She was frightened and terribly sad, Jake knew. He glanced at her and knew why.

"If I could have taken his place…," Jake began.

"No!" Sam shouted, startling them both. "Don't ever say that."

"I would have," Jake told her. "I know how much you loved him.

_Love him_, Sam corrected in her mind. She looked out the passenger window, not seeing any of the scenery.

The trip to Three Ponies was over too soon for Sam's liking and she sat in Jake's truck looking up at the big stone house. It was so huge and it always had intimidated her, even as a child. It was the biggest house she had ever seen. Of course, it had to be since it used to be an Army outpost. The stone barn was as big as River Bend's house.

Sam looked out into the pasture and saw Rocky grazing. She looked to her right and saw Bryan's Yukon parked next to Quinn's Tahoe. She choked back a sob at the sight of his vehicle.

"It's yours for the taking," Jake said softly.

Sam could only nod. She didn't want Bryan's things. She wanted Bryan. She sat in Jake's truck and wept. Jake let her, not saying anything or rushing her.

When she finally sighed and wiped her eyes, he got out of the truck and came around to the passenger side and leaned up against the side of the truck. He would wait for her to decide when she was ready.

It was almost 20 minutes later before he heard her open the passenger door. Her eyes were red from crying and she was shaking. Her bottom lip was trembling. Jake's heart broke for her and all he wanted to do was wrap her in his arms and keep her from further hurt.

Instead, he helped her down ignoring any pain in his burnt hands. Sam gripped one of his hands and Jake thought he would fall to his knees with pain, but he didn't.

"We'll bring your stuff in a bit later," Jake told her. Sam nodded and she followed Jake towards the big stone house, her hand still in his.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

The second Sam walked into the house she was engulfed in Maxine's arms. The two women wept together. Jake figured it might be a good time to start bringing in Sam's boxes since it didn't look like Mom and Sam would be done crying any time soon. He watched as they went towards the family room.

He grabbed a box, taking care not to grip it too hard with his hands and started back towards the house. The hand that Sam had gripped was killing him. He knew she had completely forgotten that they were burned. He really didn't mind if holding his hand had brought her comfort.

Jake put the first box on the floor of Bryan's room and then stood in the middle of the room to look. He could feel his brother's presence in the room. Maybe that would bring Sam some comfort.

He looked at the dresser and saw that Mom had already put out a couple of pictures of Bryan so Sam would see them. Jake smiled softly, knowing Sam would appreciate it.

Much to his surprise, Jake felt comfort being in his brother's room and looking at the pictures. He shook his head slightly, missing his brother a lot and went out to get another box.

Nate and Quinn were riding in and were surprised at seeing the boxes in the back of Jake's truck.

"Are you moving out?" Quinn asked.

"No, Sam's moving in," Jake informed him.

"Is that a ring on your finger?" Nate yelped.

Jake looked at the cheap band on his finger and nodded.

"What's going on, Jakey?" Quinn swung down from Chip. Nate dismounted from Digger.

"Sam and I were married in Reno this morning," Jake told them, wary of their reactions.

"What?" both shouted, causing their horses to shy.

"Is that where you were when we rode out?" Nate asked.

Jake nodded.

"Sam's pregnant," Jake told them.

"With whose child?" Quinn bit out. "Yours?"

Nate stepped between the brothers. He had seen the anger in Jake's face at Quinn's question.

"She's having Bryan's child," Jake said, his voice barely above a whisper. Both Nate and Quinn recognized it as a sign that Jake was beyond mere anger. He was furious.

"Then why did you marry her?" Quinn shouted. "I'm his twin."

"He asked me to take care of her," Jake's voice was still quiet as he answered his brother.

"He what?" Quinn's voice dropped several decibels. Jake could see he was surprised.

"Before we went into the building," Jake told them, his own voice getting back to normal. Nate stepped away from them thinking the danger of them pounding on each other had passed.

"What did he say, Jakey?" Nate asked.

Jake told them and both of his brothers showed their surprise.

"It's almost…," Quinn murmured.

"Yeah," Jake cut him off.

The two youngest Elys looked at each other.

"It still should have been me," Quinn told him.

Jake shrugged.

"It wasn't," Jake said.

"You've always wanted…," Quinn's voice took on a show of anger again.

"Knock it off," Nate told them both, stepping between them again. "It's over now. Sam is married to Jake and is expecting Bryan's baby."

"I should be the one raising my twin's child," Quinn wouldn't let it go.

"I'm sure you'll have the chance," Nate said reasonably. "We're the kid's uncles, no matter if you married her, I married her or Jake married her."

Both Jake and Quinn thought about that and they nodded, looking at the other. Nate sighed a sigh of relief as it looked like both guys were settling down again.

Quinn looked towards the house and Jake waited for Nate and Quinn to put up their horses. Then all three of them grabbed some boxes and started towards the house.

"Should you be carrying that with your hands, Jakey?" Quinn asked.

"I'll manage," Jake responded. "I've been putting them in Bryan's room."

"Sam's going to stay in Bryan's room?" Quinn wondered.

"Yes," Jake nodded, looking at him.

That told Quinn and Nate more than words ever could. Jake might be in love with Sam, but she didn't return it. Suddenly they felt sorry for Jake, surprising themselves. Jake was the one who would have to live a loveless life with the woman who had loved his brother.


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

Once Maxine and Sam had cried themselves out, Maxine took Sam to Bryan's room. Quinn, Nate and Jake were just coming out of the room having dropped off the last of Sam's boxes.

Sam was hugged by both Quinn and Nate and she thanked them for bringing in her things. Jake stood by, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I need a shower before dinner," Jake said and headed to his own room. Maxine watched her youngest son disappear as he shut the door behind him.

Quinn and Nate headed to their own rooms and Sam noted where everyone's rooms were in relation to Bryan's. Maxine pointed at a door across the hall.

"That's the bathroom for this wing of the house," Maxine told her. "Unfortunately, you have to share it with three men. I'll warn them to make sure they keep it clean."

"It's okay," Sam murmured, not wanting to cause any problems.

"You don't know them like I know them," Maxine warned her. "I'll also warn them that they must wear clothes if they come out of their rooms."

Sam blanched, then blushed furiously.

"Exactly," Maxine nodded. "They are used to just strutting around as naked as the days they were born."

Sam gulped, then blushed again. She wouldn't have minded if she were living here with Bryan as they had planned. Sam had loved looking at Bryan's naked body. She had loved touching his naked body.

Sam broke out of her reverie when Maxine put her hand on Sam's arm and led her into Bryan's room. Sam was overcome with emotion. Her eyes teared up and she tried to blink away the tears. She ignored her boxes of things on the floor and just looked at Bryan's things.

She noticed the pictures of him on top of the dresser and turned to look at Maxine. That's when Sam noticed that she was alone in the room. Maxine had backed out of the room and shut the door quietly.

Sam threw herself down on Bryan's bed. Oh gosh, it smelled like him! She had so missed his smell. Sam sobbed. Her grief racked her body. Everyone in the house paused as they heard her weeping.

Her heartbreak seemed to shake the walls of the sturdy house. Maxine sat at the kitchen table and wept. Jake, Quinn and Nate stopped what they were doing and listened to the young woman as she mourned the man she had loved and whose child she was carrying. Each of them wondered if anyone loved them enough to weep over them like that if they had died. Besides their mother, they doubted it.

Jake went across the hall to the bathroom and stood outside Bryan's door momentarily as he listed to Sam as she cried. It broke his heart to hear it. Shaking his head, he went into the bathroom and shut the door. He couldn't help her. She had to let out the grief she had been holding inside. He could be there to comfort her, but letting go of the grief was up to her.

The hot water felt good on his body but made his hands hurt. Once he was clean, he shut off the hot water and just let the cool water run over his hands. They were looking better, but still hurt. Not for the first time, he wondered if they were permanently damaged and whether or not he'd ever gain full use of them again.

Since the fire, he mostly supervised the work needed on the ranch. He had a hard time gripping a rope or anything else he needed to grip. Again, he wondered if it wouldn't have been better for him to have perished in the fire instead of Bryan.

He shut off the cool water and started to towel himself off. Sam certainly would have been happy if that's the way it had been. Oh he knew she would be sorry and mourn him as her friend, but he doubted she would have been eaten up by grief as she was with losing Bryan.

Jake hated to think about it, but as he stood and looked at himself in the bathroom mirror, he wished for a second that it had been him. Because he had lived, he was sentenced to a life without a love of his own. To Jake, that was almost worse than losing his life in the fire.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

Jake knocked on the door. Dinner was ready and his mom had asked that he go and ask Sam if she wanted to join them or take her dinner in Bryan's room.

Sam opened the door, wiping her eyes. They were bloodshot from all the crying she had been doing, but she did feel a bit better. She had been keeping most of her grief inside, afraid if she let it out that she would never stop crying.

"Mom wants to know if you want to eat with us, or in your, uh, Bryan's, uh room," Jake rubbed the back of his neck. Technically it was her room now, he guessed.

Sam looked up at him and Jake felt her sorrow. It almost seeped out of her, but he also felt her strength as she faced it.

"Hang on, I need to wash my face," Sam told him and Jake stepped out of the way so she could go into the bathroom. He leaned against the wall and waited for her to splash cold water on her face.

Sam looked at herself in the mirror and knew that no amount of cold water was going to erase the evidence of her grief. She looked like a zombie and was glad there weren't any little kids around to scare. Her hands moved over her stomach. Just her own little kid and she had to get herself together for him or her.

"I look horrible," Sam grumbled as she shut off the light and came out of the bathroom. She looked at Jake and he wondered if she wanted him to dispute the fact. He wasn't that good of a liar.

She saw it on his face and snorted before hitting his arm. Surprised, Jake's eyes met hers and for the first time since Bryan's death he saw humor instead of hurt, grief and sorrow in her eyes.

He smiled tentatively at her and she smiled softly at him, still sad but not overcome with her grief.

"I do appreciate you, Jake," Sam told him, giving him a hug knowing he would be uncomfortable with it.

Sure enough, he rubbed the back of his neck when she released him.

"Oh stop, we're married now," Sam teased, surprising Jake again. "I'm sure it's okay if I hug you."

"You're doing better," Jake confirmed.

Sam sighed and for a moment, the sorrow showed in her eyes again.

"Not really," she admitted. "I have to go on for our child. So I'm going to work at trying to do better."

"You're strong," Jake told her.

"We'll see if I can pull it off," Sam shrugged.

"Let me know if I can help you," Jake said.

"You already have," Sam put her arm through this. They started towards the dining room. "I'm sorry about before."

"Before?" Jake asked, confused.

"Grabbing your hand like that," Sam clarified. "I'm sure I hurt it with my death grip."

"Nah," Jake shook his head, denying it.

"Don't play cowboy with me, Jake," Sam rolled her eyes at him. "It's important to me that you're okay too."

"Okay," Jake said as they arrived in the dining room.

Sam felt suddenly shy as Luke was there as well as Adam and Kit.

"Hey little sis," Adam greeted her warmly. Sam felt her lip tremble again as she looked at the Ely family sitting at the table. She looked at the two empty chairs and knew without asking which one was where Bryan used to sit.

"Hi," she murmured to them all while staring at the chair.

"You can do this," Jake whispered for her ears only. "Go sit on his lap."

Sam's head snapped up, clipping Jake under the chin.

"Ow," they both yelped, Sam rubbing the top of her head while Jake rubbed his chin and counted his teeth with his tongue.

"Are you two alright?" Maxine started to stand up, concerned.

"I'm sorry," Sam blushed at the trouble she had caused. Her eyes locked with Jake's, still confused over what he had said.

"Come on," Jake put his hand on her arm and they approached the two empty chairs.

Sam looked at the chair before looking at all the Elys already seated, before looking up at Jake who was encouraging her with his dark brown eyes. His eyes reminded her of Bryan's when he looked at her like that. Jake saw it in her eyes and they softened.

She sat down in Bryan's chair and the family almost sighed audibly in relief. Bryan's chair had been empty for too long and they were happy that the woman he had loved was the one finally sitting in it.


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

Sam's first night at Three Ponies was a restless one. After dinner she had tried helping Maxine clean up, but Maxine wouldn't let her. So she went out into the family room with the men and sat in one of the overstuffed chairs. She squirmed, not able to get comfortable.

"Kit!" Luke bellowed and everyone stopped what they were doing to look at the stern man. "Get out of your seat and let Sam sit on the couch."

Sam paled, then flushed, looking with alarm at Kit.

"Sure," Kit smiled at Sam and motioned for Sam to get out of the chair to sit on the couch.

Sam's eyes met Jake's who was sitting on one end of the couch. He nodded at her and Sam smiled at Adam before sitting between him and Jake. Adam smiled warmly back at Sam as she slouched into the couch.

"Better?" Luke asked her with a gentle smile on his face.

"Yes sir," Sam nodded. Luke returned her nod and turned back to the TV.

She glanced up at Jake and could see the amusement in his face.

"So when are you due, Sammy?" Adam asked, causing Sam to jump.

Maxine was coming into the family room and sat in the chair next to Luke. She had heard Adam's question.

"May," Sam's voice was almost a whisper.

"May?" Maxine's voice was almost a croak.

Sam didn't want to say the date in case it would upset Maxine, but she saw that Maxine really wanted to know.

"About the 22nd," Sam did whisper this time.

Regardless of the softness of her voice, everyone in the family room heard her. Sam looked down as seven pairs of eyes looked her way.

Maxine choked back a sob. May 22nd was Quinn's and Bryan's birthdays.

"That would be perfect," Nate murmured, breaking the silence in the room. He smiled at Sam who tried smiling back but knew she hadn't done a very good job of it.

"Yes," she heard Maxine say softly.

Sam looked up then, meeting Maxine's eyes. She could see the wetness in Bryan's mother's eyes and seeing it make Sam's eyes well up with tears. The two women looked at each other for a few minutes, each remembering Bryan. That Sam was due to give birth to his child on his birthday seemed so special to the two of them.

Later Kit started talking about Hawaii and Sam learned that he would be flying back the next day. Then she stiffened. It had been a week since Bryan had died. The grief threatened to overpower her again.

Jake had felt her stiffen and looked down at her. He saw her bowed head and heard the faint sniffle as she tried to fight her tears. He couldn't help the hand that came down on her shoulder and he felt her jump in surprise.

Sam almost jumped out of her seat at the touch of the hand on her shoulder. Of course, he would know why she was so sad again. He had always been able to read her better than anyone.

Had it only been a week? To Sam it felt like an eternity. An eternity since she had held him. An eternity since she had kissed him. An eternity since she had looked into his eyes as he told her he loved her before he had gone to that fateful fire.

Sam fought for control. The hand left her shoulder and came around her other shoulder in comfort. She couldn't help turning into the hard chest that felt so similar, yet so different from the one she had loved.

She didn't see the concerned looks from the rest of Bryan's family as they took in her grief. Maxine was also crying, knowing the awful anniversary that today was. The tough Ely men would deny that they had tears in their eyes but their sorrow was reflected in the faces of the others in the room.

All eight of them in the Ely family room remembered the man who wasn't with them.

Sam got grief under control and sniffled, her face still buried in Jake's chest. She wiped her eyes and smiled her thanks at him. He took his arm from around her shoulder and she straightened up in her seat on the couch.

Maxine was wiping her own eyes and Sam felt bad for making Bryan's mom cry again.

Later when Sam couldn't fight the exhaustion again, she said her goodnights and headed towards Bryan's room. She grabbed her toothbrush and went into the bathroom to brush her teeth before heading back to the room where she would now sleep.

Jake was coming towards her on the way to his room next door to Bryan's.

"Do you have everything you need?" Jake asked.

_Besides Bryan_, Sam thought.

"Yes," Sam nodded.

"Night, Brat," Jake told her, going into his room.

"Night, Jake," Sam told her husband, shutting the bedroom door behind her.


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32**

Sam changed into her pajamas and crawled between the sheets of Bryan's bed. She could smell him and she hugged the pillow as if it were him, burrowing her face into it. An idea came to her and she scrambled out of the bed to rummage through one of his drawers, pulling out one of his t-shirts. She inhaled his scent and hurried back to his bed.

As she lay there clutching the pillow, she talked to her child, telling him some more about his father. Sam stopped in mid-sentence. She had been calling her baby a him. She had hoped she would have a boy so she could name him Bryan. Somehow she knew with certainty that it would be a boy.

She smiled to herself in the darkness.

"I miss you, Bryan," she whispered. "I miss you so much." She wiped her eyes on the shirt she was wearing, hoping she didn't smear off his scent.

She turned over onto her back and ran her hands over her abdomen. Her belly where their son grew was still flat. How she wished it was his hands touching her. How she wished her hands were touching him. She missed the hardness of his body.

Oh gosh, she couldn't think of his hard body without wanting it. Besides just having him with her, she would miss that part of him too.

She snuggled back into the pillow and shut her eyes. Sleep came to her and not surprisingly she dreamt of Bryan.

When she woke in the morning, she stretched and said good morning to her baby as she rubbed her palms over her stomach. Then she bounced out of bed to grab a couple of her bras that needed washing before she could wear them again.

She headed to the bathroom, noting that none of the guys seemed to be up yet. Or at least she didn't hear them. She hand washed her lingerie and hung it up over the door of the shower.

She washed her face, brushed her teeth and headed back to the room to get dressed. Sam rummaged through her things to find clean underwear, socks and jeans. After putting on a bra, she looked at Bryan's closet and went to it, throwing the doors open. She stepped into it, inhaling the scent of him on his clothes.

Her knees buckled as she became overwhelmed with her grief again. She hugged his clothes and let her tears flow out of her.

Once she was able to collect herself, she went through his shirts and chose one to wear. She didn't think anyone would mind and it would be like his body was wrapped around hers.

While Sam was in Bryan's room getting dressed, Jake came out of his room to wash his face and brush his teeth. He froze at seeing the bras hanging over the shower door.

"Whoa," Quinn's voice behind him surprised him. "I guess she's definitely moving in."

"At least we don't have to worry about feminine products in the medicine cabinet for awhile," Nate joked, causing both Quinn and Jake to flinch before they chuckled.

"Quinn," Jake warned his brother as he reached for one of Sam's bras. He tried to stop Quinn, but was unable to as Quinn took one down and looked at the size.

"34 B," Quinn announced. "Kinda small."


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33**

Jake gave him a dirty look, grabbing the bra out of Quinn's hands and putting it back.

"Well anything bigger would look wrong on Sammy," Nate pointed out.

"Oh knock it off," Jake grouched at both of his brothers.

"Plus she'll grow with the kid," Quinn said.

"Good grief," Jake left the bathroom and headed for the kitchen, shaking his head at his idiot brothers.

"Oh like he wasn't curious," Quinn laughed, then followed Jake down the hallway towards the kitchen.

"He'd never admit it," Nate said going with Quinn.

"Kit left for the airport and Adam's on his way back to Reno," Maxine told them when they came into the kitchen. "Any sign of Sam?"

Quinn snorted and Nate grinned. Jake grimaced.

"What am I missing?" Maxine wondered.

"Sam's uh, unmentionables are hanging in our bathroom," Quinn told his mother.

"Well you three are about to find out what it's like having a woman sharing your bathroom," Maxine looked smug.

"Wonder what she'll say if I start hanging my underwear next to her bras," Quinn quipped. Nate snorted and even Jake's mouth twitched.

"Don't you dare hang your dirty underwear out in the open," Maxine warned him.

"I meant after they were clean," Quinn was shocked at his mother.

"That would be a first, you hanging anything up after they were clean," Maxine huffed and left the kitchen. Her sons were still amused when Sam came shyly into the kitchen.

"Hey," Jake greeted her.

"Hi Sammy," Nate smiled at her.

"Oh Sammy," Quinn began and Jake groaned. "I really like that green number with the lace across the top. Think you could wear it to dinner tonight?"

Sam fought to keep her jaw from dropping. She couldn't stop the blush though. She could tell all three guys were waiting to see how she handled the teasing. Sam took a deep breath.

"Are you so hard up that you get your jollies from pawing women's bras, Quinn?" Sam taunted. Nate barked out a laugh and Jake snorted.

"Welcome to the family, Sammy," Quinn put his arm around her shoulder with a grin and kissed the top of her head. "I do like that one though."

"You can borrow it sometime," Sam retorted.

"What are you doing today?" Jake asked. "Glasses are there." He pointed towards one of the cupboards.

"Thanks," Sam smiled at him and got one out. "I'm doing whatever it is you guys are doing."

The three guys looked at each other. "We're starting to separate the cattle for market," Jake told her.

"Then I can help with that," Sam shrugged.

"Um, Brat," Jake rubbed the back of his neck.

Sam looked up from pouring some orange juice into her glass.

"What?"

"Do you think it's wise?" Quinn asked.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Sam took a sip of her juice.

"You're pregnant," Jake reminded her.

"Yeah, so?" Sam tilted her head at him. "I'm fine to ride for awhile yet. I won't be able to do any really heavy work, but I can help with something."

"Well Jakey can't do much with his hands the way they are, so Sam's welcome to ride with me," Nate said, earning a glare from Jake. Nate shrugged at him.

"Fine with me," Quinn said with a shrug. "Any chance you'll wear that green number?"

Sam snorted. "Not today, no."

"Darn," Quinn grinned. He flinched when Sam punched his arm.


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34**

"Is that one of Bryan's shirts?" Jake asked her softly as they all went out after breakfast.

"Yes," Sam nodded, looking up at him. "It's okay, isn't it?"

"Sure," Jake told her.

"Thanks," Sam's eyes teared up and she looked away. "It brings me comfort."

"It's not a problem, Brat," Jake assured her. He put his hand on her arm to stop her. Sam got her emotions under control before meeting his eyes. "If you get tired, stop okay?"

Sam's eyes softened as she nodded.

"Promise me," Jake insisted.

"I promise I'll stop when or if I get tired," Sam held up her hand as she swore this. "I want this baby, Jake."

"I know," they started forward again, Jake pulling Sam out of the way as Quinn brought Chip out with just his hands in Chip's mane.

Sam looked out over the pasture, finding Rocky immediately. Of course, it was hard to miss the loudly colored black overo paint gelding.

"He should come if you whistle," Jake told her. "He's gentle as a lamb and easy to catch."

"So you're all right now with my coming with you?" Sam asked.

"No, but I know you well enough you'd come anyway," Jake responded, whistling for his big black mare.

"Hey, that's the Appy that Jake was training," Sam noticed the horse that Nate was saddling.

"Yeah, isn't he great?" Nate smiled at her.

Sam nodded and called to Rocky inside the pasture. The big gelding raised his head, grass falling from his lips as he did so.

"Come here, baby," Sam called to him again. The three guys rolled their eyes and Quinn pretended to put his finger down his throat.

Jake watched closely as Rocky started coming to Sam. He was still worried that she might get hurt and the worst thing that could happen to her now was for her to lose Bryan's child. To Jake it seemed that the promise of that child is what was helping Sam through her grief. He was afraid for her if God forbid she lost that child.

He went into the barn and grabbed both his and Bryan's saddle. Jake didn't want Sam lifting the heavy saddle but he left both bridles for her to bring out. At least by doing that, she might not yell at him again. His mouth twitched, knowing better.

All three of Bryan's brothers watched as Sam looked around for a lead rope, then shrugged, threading her fingers through Rocky's black and white mane, as Quinn had done to Chip. Rocky actually had lowered his neck so Sam could reach his mane. The Ely boys met each others' eyes.

Jake threw the saddle pad and saddle over Rocky's back and stepped away to allow Sam to tighten up the cinch. He went back to Witch and saddled her.

"Where are the bridles?" Sam asked and Jake told her where to find them, asking her to get Witch's also. With a nod, Sam went into the tack room and got what she needed. She handed Witch's to Jake and started putting Rocky's on.

The gelding almost yawned to take the bit and Sam told him what a great boy he was as she lifted the bridle over the paint's head and buckled the throat latch. Then she stood and rubbed his white face between his eyes. Rocky lowered his head and groaned in contentment.

"If you're giving massages, Sammy, I'll sign up now," Quinn teased and Sam smiled softly. She was trying to let Rocky know how much she had loved his master.

All three guys looked at each other and tried to swallow past the huge lumps in their throats. They missed their brother though they were happy that his horse would be ridden by the woman that Bryan had loved. Rocky would be in good hands with Sam.


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35**

Sam rode between Jake and Nate as they went out to the range. Quinn had to give her a leg up since she wasn't tall enough to reach Rocky's stirrups. Jake had watched, a thoughtful look on his face.

"How do you guys decide on which ones are going?" Sam asked.

"Going to McDonalds?" Quinn raised an eyebrow and Sam sucked in a breath. Bryan's face flashed before her and she had to turn away.

"Basically the same way everyone does it," Jake wondered at what had gotten her upset.

"Oh," Sam murmured, still not looking at anyone.

The three Elys met each others' eyes and shrugged.

"So are you going with us tonight Jakey?" Nate asked him a bit later.

Jake groaned to himself and gave Nate a look.

Sam picked her head up to look at them.

"Is that a no?" Quinn wondered.

"I'm going," Jake mumbled.

Sam was about to ask where, but bit it off. Yes he was her husband, but he wasn't under any obligation to tell her where he was going. The marriage was for the benefit of her and Bryan's unborn child. It wasn't really a marriage.

She kept her head down as they rode through the herds, Jake determining which cow or calf to send off. Then one of them would mark it with spray paint. They would come back in a few days and round them up on the trucks.

Still Sam didn't say anything. She heard Quinn and Nate joking around, but Jake was quiet which didn't surprise Sam. He was usually quiet.

When they had gone through all the Three Ponies' herds, they turned for home. Chip was prancing under his rider, picking up Quinn's excitement.

"I get dibs on the shower first," Quinn said with a laugh.

"You should go last since it takes you the longest," Jake complained.

"You just want to go first," Quinn joked.

"It does take him the least amount of time to get ready," Nate pointed out.

Sam saw Jake rub the back of his neck. Sam looked down in front of her, missing the look that Nate sent her way. Nate raised an eyebrow at Jake who shook his head, surprising Nate.

"Let's run, huh?" Quinn gave Chip his head and the chocolate brown gelding exploded into a gallop.

"He must want to see Debi pretty bad," Nate laughed, then gave a whoop and let out his Appy Bramble.

Sam felt Jake's gaze before he gave Witch a bit more rein and the big black mare started to lope towards home. Sam was in no hurry since she would be staying home by herself, apparently, but let Rocky follow Witch.

She dismounted in the Three Ponies ranch yard and yanked the saddle off the overo paint. Sam started to carry it towards the barn when Jake stopped her, taking the saddle from her.

"No carrying saddles," he reminded her.

"Fine," Sam snapped. Jake raised an eyebrow at her temper before taking Rocky's and Witch's saddles to the barn.

Sam took the bridles off of the two horses and stalked towards the barn, barely missing Jake as he was coming out.

"Excuse me," Sam muttered waiting for him to go by before she went in. Nate was right behind her, bringing in Bramble's tack.

"Gosh she's starting to sound like a wife already," Quinn teased.

"Shut up," Jake told him, knowing Sam could probably hear them.

"Of course, being your wife, she probably wouldn't like it if she knew that you're seeing Devon tonight, huh?" Quinn went on.

Sam froze just inside the barn. Nate almost ran into her but he was able to get around her. A stab of pain went through her. They were all going out on dates. Sam's date was dead. The pain of his loss hit her again full force. She bit her lip to keep from blubbering and quickly put the bridles in their spots before hurrying out of the barn. Nate watched her go before putting his tack away and coming out.

She muttered a thank you to Jake who had put Rocky in the pasture for her and started trotting towards the house.

"Way to go, moron," Nate gave Quinn a shove. "She heard every word."

"Well it's not like you two are really married," Quinn said to Jake.

"We're really married," Jake told him.

"Yeah but you're not _really_ married," Quinn said, emphasizing what he meant.

"No," Jake shook his head. "Still, I don't want to rub her face into the fact that I'm going out without her."

"Jake, she has to know that you, uh, have needs," Quinn looked at his younger brother. "I mean, if you aren't getting it at home, you have to get it somewhere. I know I would."

"Now there's a surprise," Jake muttered, heading for the house.


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36**

"You're going out?" Maxine asked Jake later when the three boys came through the family room. She sounded surprised.

Jake nodded.

"What about Samantha?" Luke asked him.

"She's in Bryan's room," Jake responded.

"You're leaving your wife at home while you go out on the town?" Maxine stated.

"It's not like they have a real marriage," Quinn put in.

"No, but…," Maxine looked at Luke who shrugged slightly. He didn't want to get in the middle of Sam's and Jake's marriage, real or not.

"Have a good time," Maxine said instead, watching as her three sons went out of the room. A few minutes later she heard the door shut behind them as they left the house.

"Poor Samantha," Maxine murmured to her husband.

"Quinn's right," Luke glanced at her. "They aren't really married. It's just for Bryan's child."

"You men are ridiculous," Maxine huffed, going back to her knitting.

"Just realistic, dear," Luke murmured.

"Realistic?" Maxine yelped. "Your daughter-in-law is home in her room while her husband is out with a group of girls?"

"She knew what she was getting into," Luke reminded her. "If Bryan were alive, they would be married now instead of her marrying Jake. There's not any love there, just one son taking care of another son's girlfriend and child."

Maxine didn't say anything and Luke looked over at her.

"Am I wrong?" Luke asked.

"No, I guess not," Maxine murmured, looking towards the boys' rooms.

Sam was laying on Bryan's bed, propped up with his pillows behind her and watching a movie on her laptop. It was about Native American who was a boxer. The actor reminded her of Jake when he was younger, right down to the attitude and the long hair.

She gasped when the plot continued and the young man was also good with horses. When his hair was loose, flowing around his face in the wind, it reminded Sam of the time when Jake had broken his leg. That day his hair was long and whipping around his face in the wind from the storm.

Sam was so into the movie, she didn't hear the knock on the door at first.

"Sam?" Maxine's voice called out as she knocked again.

"Come in," Sam hit the pause button and put the laptop next to her on the bed.

"Are you all right, honey?" Maxine came into Bryan's room.

"Yes, I'm sorry," Sam nodded. "I was watching a movie on my laptop."

Maxine noticed that Sam was wearing pajama bottoms alone with one of Bryan's shirts. Sam glanced down at the shirt, running her hands over the front of it.

"You don't mind, do you?" Sam looked up at her mother-in-law.

"Of course not," Maxine smiled at the young woman. She came to sit down on the edge of the bed. "How are you really, Samantha?"

Sam sighed.

"I'm surviving," Sam told her.

"Just surviving?" Maxine asked.

Sam nodded. "That's all I can hope for at the moment."

"You need to do more than survive for your child," Maxine chided her.

"I know," Sam sighed again. "I'm trying." She looked down and wrung her hands until Maxine put her hand over Sam's.

Sam looked up through her tears to see Maxine's eyes were tearful also.

"Oh Sam," Maxine scooted closer and the two women held each other as they wept.

"I miss him so much," Sam managed to say when they had cried themselves out.

"I know you do, honey," Maxine brushed Sam's auburn hair back from her face.

"I just feel so lost," Sam whispered.

"Why do you feel lost?" Maxine wondered. "We love you and are happy you're here with us."

Sam shook her head.

"We don't want you here?" Maxine asked.

"I feel so out of place," Sam said. "Like I'm intruding."

"You're not intruding," Maxine was firm. "You are my son's wife and carrying my son's baby."

Sam made a noise, surprising Maxine.

"Not the same son," Sam reminded her.

"Regardless," Maxine waved her hand in the air. "You are."

Both women thought of Jake out with his brothers and quite possibly with another woman. Sam glanced at Maxine from underneath her bangs.

"We love you, Samantha," Maxine assured her.

Sam nodded, but didn't say anything. The man who loved her was gone. Nobody loved her anymore and the thought of it made Sam choke back a sob.

_I will strangle that son of mine_, Maxine vowed as she saw Sam's face.


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37**

"Maxine!" Luke's shout got both of the women's attention.

Sam paled as Maxine scrambled off the bed.

"What is it, Luke?" Maxine asked.

"There's a fire I need to get to," Sam heard Luke's voice and her blood ran cold. She started to shake.

"Have the boys been paged?" Maxine asked, going out into the hallway.

"I just did," Luke said.

"Take care of them," Maxine begged.

"I will," Luke promised and Sam heard them kiss.

She was trembling so hard, she took one of the pillows from behind her and hugged it, trying to keep her body still. It didn't work. She could feel Bryan's bed shaking under her.

Maxine looked in from the doorway and was alarmed at the paleness of Sam's face. She looked like death as she sat on Bryan's bed. Oh gosh, she was remembering what had happened to Bryan.

Maxine rushed in and put her arms around Sam.

"He'll be fine, Samantha," Maxine crooned to her.

"He's dead," Sam whined. "He's dead."

"Sam?" Maxine tried to get the younger woman attention.

Sam almost looked to be in a trance.

"They'll be fine," Maxine said again.

Sam shook her head and looked up at Maxine. Maxine could see the terror in Sam's eyes.

"They'll be fine," Maxine insisted.

Sam tried to concentrate on what Maxine was telling her, hoping the older woman was right. She wasn't sure she'd survive if anything happened to any of Maxine's remaining sons.

As the hours progressed, Sam tried to stay up until the Ely men got home, but she found herself drifting off. She'd wake up, only to doze off again.

When the men came in, Maxine hugged her husband and each of her sons, despite their smelling like smoke.

"I'm taking a shower and heading to bed," Nate muttered, kissing his mom and heading towards his room.

"Me too," Quinn kissed his mom and followed his older brother.

"Night," Jake made to follow the other two.

"Jake, Sam was extremely frightened about the fire," Maxine told him.

"I can imagine," Jake murmured. "I'll let her know we're home. Thanks Mom."

Jake was exhausted but he knocked on Bryan's door.

"Sam?" Jake called through the door. When he didn't get an answer, he opened it and peeked in. Sam was asleep, sprawled across the bed.

Jake sighed and went into the room. He picked her up, noticing how light she was in his arms. He pulled back the covers on the bed and laid her gently between them. Jake tucked her in and couldn't help but brush the hair back from her face.

Sam stirred under his hand and one eye flickered open.

"Aryouawright," she slurred.

Jake chuckled.

"Yeah," he assured her.

Sam shut her eye and Jake chuckled again. He watched her as she fell asleep, feeling a tenderness towards her he hadn't felt before.

Oh he had felt tender towards her previously, but not like this. He wasn't sure what was different except he knew how much she had been through with the loss of Bryan.

Jake knew how important her baby was to her, to his whole family. It was up to him to make sure she took care of herself and her child since he was her husband.

He sighed, leaning against the wall. Jake had been almost happy that there had been a fire to interrupt his night.

Once he had gotten to the restaurant with his brothers, their girlfriends and Devon, he had felt as if he was cheating on Sam. There was no reason for him to feel that way since they were married in name only, for the sake of the child, but he couldn't shake the feeling.

Devon seemed to notice, her attitude getting sour by the time they were paged about the fire. Jake hadn't kissed Devon or really even paid much attention to her that evening. His mind was on the woman he had left back home.

Jake looked down on Sam as she slept. He bet she had no idea he was home or even that he had stopped in to see how she was. She seemed exhausted and that worried him a little.

Speaking of exhaustion, Jake too was exhausted. The fire had been a small one, but everyone was on edge after what had happened to Bryan. Jake needed sleep and with one last look at Sam, he headed out of the room.


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38**

Sam lay in bed, curled in a ball the next morning. While she wouldn't say she was sick, she definitely wasn't feeling very well.

She was exhausted, her body felt like limp noodles. Plus her stomach churned. It felt as if she wanted to vomit, but not quite.

"You're making your presence known, aren't you little one?" Sam whispered to her child. "I wish your daddy was here."

She heard the soft knock on the door.

"Come in," she called.

The door opened and Jake poked his head in.

"How are you this morning?" he asked.

"You're okay?" Sam lifted her head.

"You don't remember my coming in last night do you?" Sam could see the teasing glint in Jake's eyes.

"You did?" Sam squeaked out.

"Yeah," Jake chuckled. "You were so tired, I knew you wouldn't remember."

He sat down on the bed and looked at her.

"You still didn't answer my question," Jake said.

"What question?" Sam asked.

"How are you this morning?" Jake asked again.

"Oh," Sam giggled and Jake smiled.

"I'm really tired," she confessed.

"From the baby?" Jake wondered.

"Yeah," Sam admitted. "It's normal."

Jake nodded.

"Plus my stomach is a bit upset," Sam admitted.

"Are you going to be sick?" Jake asked.

"Are you going to run out of the room screaming if I say yes?" Sam asked back.

Jake chuckled.

"No," he told her. "I've seen you sick before."

"When," Sam was doubtful.

"When you were six years old and ate that bad seafood at your birthday," Jake reminded her.

Sam's mouth fell open. Then she snorted.

"I don't remember that," Sam admitted.

"You had your head in the toilet for hours," Jake teased.

"Don't say that or I might have to do that again," Sam put her hand over her mouth.

"I'm sorry," Jake was serious again. "What can I do?"

"Dry toast," Sam told him.

"Coming right up," Jake got up and headed to the door.

"Jake?" Sam called to him and he turned to look at her.

"I'm glad you're okay," Jake could see the tears in her eyes as she looked at him.

He nodded and headed down to the kitchen to get her some dry toast.

"Have you looked in on Samantha?" Maxine asked as she gave him a kiss.

"She's not feeling well," Jake told his mother.

"Morning sickness?"

"Seems so," Jake nodded.

"Sam's sick?" Nate came in hearing the end of the conversation.

"Morning sickness," Jake told him, getting some bread and putting it in the toaster.

"Morning," Quinn came in.

"You look like something the cat threw up," Maxine looked at her son. Jake paused in pushing down the toast as he looked at his mother in shock. Nate snorted as he sat down and poured himself some coffee.

"I love you too Mommy," Quinn grinned at her and gave her a kiss.

Maxine tried to wave him off, laughing at him as she did so.

"Are you making Sam some dry toast?" Maxine asked Jake.

"Yes, she asked for it," Jake told her as he got himself some coffee. "Do you think she'll feel like some juice?"

"It's probably too acidic," Maxine shook her head. "Let me heat up some water with a tiny bit of lemon."

"That's not acidic?" Quinn asked.

"Not like juice," Maxine told him, putting on the pot.

Nate shuddered. "That sounds downright nasty."

Quinn nodded.

"I guess Sammy won't be coming out with us today, then huh?" Nate asked.

"Probably not," Jake responded, taking out the toast when it popped up.

The pot started to screech and Maxine poured out some into a cup and squeezed out a bit of lemon into it before letting the slice float in the hot water.

"There," Maxine handed the cup to Jake. "She needs to drink something, especially if she starts to vomit."

"Oh lovely," Quinn put down his fork.

"The tray!" Maxine exclaimed. "My goodness, I forgot the tray."

Maxine went to the pantry and got out the tray that Sam could use while in bed. Jake remembered it from when he had broken his leg.

Maxine put the plate containing Sam's toast and the cup of hot lemon water on it. Jake put some eggs and fruit on a plate and put that and his coffee cup on the tray and started back towards the rooms.

"Wow, Jakey's quite the attentive husband this morning," Quinn watched as he left the kitchen. Maxine cuffed his head.

"What?" Quinn yelped. "I'm just saying."

"He wasn't very attentive to Devon last night," Nate murmured.

"No?" Maxine inquired.

"She was pretty upset," Nate said. "I think that relationship is over. Our having to leave didn't help matters either."

Maxine looked to where Jake had disappeared with a thoughtful expression on her face.


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39**

The weeks past and Sam was fitting into the Ely family. Her morning sickness was getting better and she started riding out with Jake and his brothers again.

The first time she did, she saw what looked like a small wooden table near the rail. She looked at it then up at the three brothers who were looking at her almost expectantly.

"Is that a table for the baby?" Sam guessed, causing all three guys to start laughing. She put her hands on her hips and stared them down.

"Sorta, but no," Quinn told her.

Sam gave up and told them so. Jake gave her a tomcat grin, but didn't say anything to her besides telling her to grab Rocky out of the pasture.

She watched as he disappeared into the barn, but shrugged and went to catch Bryan's gelding. Sam brought him out and Jake tossed the pad and saddle onto the overo's back. Sam went into the barn to get the bridle's and looked at the little table thing as she went by. She still didn't get it and the snorts she heard told her that the guys knew it.

Sam handed Jake Witch's bridle and put on Rocky's. She glanced at Bryan's brothers to see which one of them was going to volunteer to help her up. They all stood around grinning at her.

Suddenly Jake's eyes flicked to the small table and Sam looked at it again. Then she looked at Jake who was giving her that darned, smug tomcat grin again.

Sam finally caught on and blushed furiously.

"Duh," she laughed and the three guys laughed with her.

"You could have given me a hint," Sam huffed, going to hug all three guys.

"While I appreciate your hug, we really didn't have anything to do with it," Nate told her with a smile.

"Oh?" Sam looked at Quinn.

"Oh please," Nate snorted, causing Quinn to give him a look and Jake to burst out laughing.

Sam looked at Jake and knew he was the one who had built the little platform for her. She hugged him tightly and thanked him.

"You're welcome, Brat," Jake murmured like it wasn't a big deal.

Sam led Rocky towards the table and then stood on stop of it, balancing herself against the big paint. She glanced at the guys with a grin and put her foot into the stirrup before swinging up on Rocky's back.

"Perfect," Sam told them, thanking them again.

"Maybe we need to attach that to the back of her saddle," Quinn teased as he swung up on Chip.

"Yeah if she comes off, we'll have to toss her back up," Nate said, earning a look from Sam.

"She's going to be weighing a ton soon and I don't want to hurt my back," Quinn continued, ignoring Sam's sound of outrage.

"And here I was going to show you the green bra today too," Sam told him.

Quinn groaned.

"I take it all back, Sammy," Quinn said, with what he hoped was a repentant look on his face.

"Too late, Quinn," Sam gave him a grin and a shrug. "Guess I'll just have to show Nate and Jake."

With Quinn watching, Sam turned her body and pretended like she was lifting her shirts so the others could see the green bra.

"Wow, that's some bra, Sammy," Nate tried to say without laughing.

Jake just snorted.

"Not fair, I want to see it," Quinn tried to get Chip to the other side of Sam.

"Too bad, so sad," Sam told him and kept riding.


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter 40**

A few nights later, Sam saw that Quinn and Nate were getting ready to go out again. She didn't see Jake, but assumed that he was going out with is brothers.

She got ready for bed, deciding to just stay in Bryan's room and not see them leaving. She didn't blame them for wanting to go out. It just made her sad that she didn't have Bryan to go out with and love. She had a book she wanted to read anyway.

A couple of hours after the guys left, she heard a knock on the door.

"Come in," Sam called, assuming it was Maxine.

Sam was surprised to see it was Jake. He was holding something in his arms.

"I thought you went out with Quinn and Nate," Sam said.

"Nah," Jake shook his head and Sam could see he was uncomfortable.

"Your hands okay?" Sam put down the book and sat up straighter on the bed.

"They're good," Jake told her, his eyes darting to hers before looking away again.

She looked at his hands and saw that while they may never look normal with the burns that he had suffered, he at least was able to move them pretty well.

"I brought a checkerboard," Jake told her, bringing his eyes back to look at hers.

"Really?" Sam smiled.

Jake smiled back at her and Sam saw again how much he reminded her of Bryan sometimes. Jake could be very handsome when he was relaxed and not protecting himself.

"Yeah really," Jake responded. "Do you want to play?"

"Sure," Sam brought her legs up to sit cross-legged on the bed as Jake came closer and sat on the opposite corner.

"How are you feeling?" he asked as he put down the board and they started to arrange the checkers.

"I'm good," Sam assured him. "The baby hasn't been making me sick much at all lately."

"That's good," Jake said. "You're white?"

"How come I'm always white and you're always black?" Sam complained. Though this was the first time they had played as adults, they had done this a lot when they were kids.

"Black goes first," Jake gave her a superior tomcat grin.

"Why can't white go first for once?" Sam complained with a laugh.

"'Cause that's not the way it's done," Jake told her.

"Quit being so sassy and move your piece," Sam rolled her eyes.

Jake's jaw dropped before he chuckled, moving his first piece.

The two of them traded insults for the next few hours as they played several games of checkers. Jake won most often, but Sam did win some too. Jake complained she was cheating when she did.

Sam was having a good time and when they were through she was surprised that she hadn't thought of Bryan being gone for a few hours. That bothered her a bit. Was she forgetting him? She couldn't see how since she was carrying his child.

She glanced at Jake as he was gathering up the pieces and the checkerboard.

"What's wrong?" Jake didn't look at her but knew she was bothered by something.

"Nothing, really," Sam shook her head. She heard Jake sigh and flicked her eyes to him again.

"It's okay, you know," Jake murmured.

Darn him!

"What is?" Sam asked, looking away so he wouldn't see her tears.

"Forgetting once in awhile that he's gone," Jake responded.

Jake watched her and saw a tear drip off her face. He hadn't wanted to upset her, but to comfort her.

"How can I ever forget?" Sam's lips trembled.

"Do you think any of us will ever forget?" Jake asked.

Her eyes flew to his. She could see the sadness in his and she felt selfish. Jake had been with Bryan when he died. He had seen it happen. Knowing Jake as she did, he had to blame himself for the loss of his brother.

"I do," Jake nodded slowly. "I know I shouldn't, but I do."

"I'm sorry," Sam wiped her face with the shirt she was wearing.

"I see him every time I look at you," Jake confessed, his voice almost a whisper.

"Oh Jake," Sam started to sob at his confession. "Do you want me to leave?"

""Course not," Jake assured her. "You belong here with us."

He rubbed his forehead as if he had a headache.

"I, uh, just wanted you, to ah, know you aren't the only one who, um, misses him," Jake didn't meet her eyes.

Jake was surprised when Sam threw her arms around him. His arms instinctively went around her as they tried to comfort each other.

"Thank you Jake," she whispered.

"For what?" he asked.

"Caring about Bryan, me and the baby," Sam whispered her answer.

Jake just shrugged.


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter 41**

After that first time, their playing board games together became a ritual whenever Quinn and Nate went out with their girlfriends. Sam enjoyed spending the time with Jake. The two of them seemed to smile and laugh more with each other than they did at other times.

Many times, one of them would find a game at a store either on sale or even at a garage sale and think of the other person immediately. They'd buy the game for their game nights and spring it on the other person at the last minute.

Maxine noticed the time the two of them were spending with each other, but didn't say much about it. They both seemed happy and it was enough for her.

This night they were playing a game that had a plastic bubble with a single die in it. When you pushed down on the bubble, it made the die pop up and then drop down again with a number on it. Plus the bubble made a loud noise.

Sam knew the noise was driving Jake crazy and she would push down on the plastic bubble several times even while she was moving her game piece. He'd shoot her an irritated glance which only made her do it again, over and over.

"You are a brat," Jake groaned as she rapidly pushed the bubble down several more times.

"I'm hurt you'd say that," Sam giggled, pressing down on the bubble again.

"Oh!" Sam gasped looking down at herself.

"Are you all right?" Jake was instantly on alert.

"He moved," Sam's face became radiant as she placed her hands over her belly.

As she did so, Jake noticed that she was showing a bit now. She was still thin, but cupping her belly the way she was, showed him that it wasn't totally flat.

"Wow," a smile that Jake had never seen before from Sam, broke out over her face. She looked at him and his heart actually hurt to see it.

"I'll leave you alone," Jake started to get up.

"Don't you dare," Sam yelped. "Wait."

She lay down flat and pulled up the t-shirt of Bryan's that she was wearing and pulled her pajama bottoms down so her belly was completely exposed. Jake swallowed, wondering at first if she was going to pull them completely off. He could see the soft swelling of her breasts, her shirt was pulled up so far.

"Give me your hand, quick," Sam reached for him.

Jake was hesitant, but Sam lifted her head and moved her fingers as if to hurry him up. He leaned over and put out one of his hands. Sam clamped her hand around his wrist and brought his hand to her rounded bare belly. She moved his hand up over her belly.

"Let me direct your hand," she had her eyes shut in concentration.

Suddenly he felt a slight movement under his fingertips. His hand jerked a bit in surprise which caused Sam to laugh a laugh he had never heard from her before.

"Feel it?" she whispered.

Of course, he felt the baby move, but he was also feeling the softness of her skin under his fingertips. His palm moved over her slightly rounded belly, cupping it slightly.

Sam sighed at the feel of the rough hands against her skin. She had missed a man's touch and just having Jake touch her belly as he felt her child move made her feel warm.

"Sam," Jake's voice cut into her thoughts and she froze. Her eyes flew open and met his. He looked very uncomfortable and he was pulling his hand out of hers.

Sam blushed scarlet and wouldn't look at him.

Jake saw her blush and wanted to kick himself. He should have stopped her sooner. He hadn't protested when she had moved his hand caressingly over her body.

"I better go," Jake didn't even gather up the game.

Sam heard the door shut as he left. My gosh, what had she been thinking? She supposedly loved Jake's deceased brother.

She rolled over onto her stomach. That was the rub wasn't it? No pun intended, of course. Sam groaned at the words in her mind. The man she loved was deceased. She wasn't and she missed his touch. She missed the way he had made her feel and for a second she had allowed herself to be carried away by the feel of Jake's hand against her.

Oh gosh, Jake must hate her.

Jake was probably wishing he had never agreed to marry her and give Bryan's child a name. He'd probably beg Quinn or Nate to marry her after he annulled their marriage. Or maybe he'd just drive her to River Bend and kick her butt out of his truck with all of her things. How would she explain that to her family? Jake had kicked her out because she was wanton and forced him to touch her? Sam groaned at the thought.

She'd allowed her sensual self to take over for a moment, and she'd scared and hurt the man she thought of as her best friend.

Jake was beating himself up as he escaped to his room next door. He had taken advantage of his dead brother's girlfriend. What kind of scum was he? Poor Bryan was dead and Jake was feeling up his girlfriend. It didn't matter that Bryan's girlfriend was now Jake's wife, he knew going into this that the marriage was only for the benefit of Bryan's unborn child.

As he flopped down on his back on his bed, he couldn't help thinking of how her skin had felt under his hand. Jake hadn't given a thought to anything except the silken feel of her skin.

Fight it as he had tried, he was still attracted to Samantha and it wouldn't take much for him to make love to her and make her his. Bryan was gone and as much as he loved his brother, he couldn't not think that his wife was alive and obviously craving a man's touch.

Maybe he needed to go out with Quinn and Nate next time.


	42. Chapter 42

**Chapter 42**

Sam and Jake were jumpy around each other for awhile and tried to hide it from everyone else, but everyone else couldn't help but notice.

When Sam rode with the Ely men, it was Quinn and Nate who kept the conversation moving. Of course, that was the norm, but Jake now only spoke when he was specifically spoken to.

The Elys were called out a few days later on another fire call and Sam was frantic again. She hugged and kissed Quinn, Nate and even Jake before they left. They could see how upset she was and Jake had given her a look before he followed his father and brothers out of the house.

Sam ran down to Bryan's room to wait. She put her iPod earbuds into her ears and tried to get lost in the music. She shivered in fear each and every time they went on a call, even if there was no fire involved.

When they returned, Maxine told Jake where Sam had gone and he came down to let her know that they were all okay.

He saw the tears in her eyes as she nodded. Jake also saw the embarrassment and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Let's forget it," Jake said.

Sam didn't have to guess what he was talking about.

"Okay," Sam whispered, flicking her eyes to his then away again.

"I've enjoyed spending time with my friend," Jake continued.

"So have I," Sam responded. "I'm sorry…"

"Don't," Jake held up a hand. "Forget it."

"Okay," Sam nodded, looking at her hands in her lap.

"Have a good night," Jake turned towards his own room and Sam felt awful. She needed to ask him if he wanted her to leave. She scrambled up off of Bryan's bed and ran to the doorway.

"Jake?" Sam called to him.

She saw Jake stop, sigh and turn around.

"Do you want me to leave?" Sam asked, biting her lip to keep it from trembling.

Did he? Jake met her eyes and saw the frightened little girl he remembered after her mother had died. Gosh no, he didn't want her to leave. It would feel as if part of himself would leave if she did.

"No," he said firmly, surprising her. He saw her eyes widen a bit as she gazed at him.

Neither said anything for a few minutes.

"Anything else?" Jake asked.

Sam shook her head and he turned into his room and shut the door behind him.

She wasn't surprised when the next time that Quinn and Nate went out with Debi and Nikki that Jake went with them. Nobody suggested she go with them.

Sam went back to the room she slept in and crawled between the sheets. She hugged the pillow. It didn't bring her comfort.

The sheets didn't smell like Bryan anymore. Too much time had passed and too many washings had taken care of that. She got off the bed and went into his closet. She couldn't smell him there either.

Sam whimpered and started going through the drawers which still held some of his clothing. She couldn't smell him.

She pulled all his things out of the drawers and threw them on the bed, trying to find just one item that still smelled like him. Then she did the same to everything of his in the closet. She couldn't find anything that did smell like him. Not one thing.

She was exhausted both physically and mentally and she crawled back to the bed, crying as she did so and collapsed in the middle of the bed with all of Bryan's clothes around her.

When Jake checked on her when he got back home, he was surprised by the chaos in the room. He had almost missed the small woman in the middle of the pile. He went into the room to check that she was okay and saw the tracks of the tears that she had shed earlier.

He reached out his hand to brush back the hair from her face and froze. Jake let his hand drop to his side. He didn't have the right to even do that. Without another look at her, he left the room and quickly went to his own.


	43. Chapter 43

**Chapter 43**

Sam woke to the mess that she had made. She remembered why she had done it and went about picking up all of Bryan's things and put them back where they belonged.

Once she had straightened the room, she started getting dressed. Her jeans barely fit her anymore. Her belly was growing and so were her breasts. Quinn's favorite bra didn't keep her breasts in. They spilled out over the top. She needed to start wearing maternity clothes. Of course, that meant she had to actually go and buy some. Maybe this was a good time to visit Jen at college and the two of them go shopping. This idea made her smile.

She was still smiling when she went into the kitchen. Maxine had already left for school and Luke had left for his mining job in town. That left Quinn, Nate and Jake all of which looked up at her when she entered.

"What are you smiling at?" Quinn asked, smiling back at her.

"Shopping trip," Sam told him.

"You're going shopping today?" Nate inquired.

"No, not today," Sam shook her head as she got some juice before sitting down at the table. "I'll call Jen and see when's a good time for a visit."

"You're going to visit Jen?" Jake looked over at her.

"I need maternity clothes," Sam said shyly.

"Really?" Quinn broke in. "You're getting that big?"

Sam lifted her shirt so the guys could see her belly. She hadn't been able to button her jeans.

"Wow, Sammy's got a belly," Quinn grinned. His eyes flicked up to her chest. She noticed.

"I won't be able to wear your favorite very much longer," Sam stuck out her tongue at him.

"Don't wear it now," Quinn suggested with a leer.

Jake groaned and Nate snorted.

"One thing about you Quinn," Sam laughed.

"What's that?" Quinn laughed with her.

"You never disappoint," Sam teased.

"So I've been told," Quinn teased back.

"Oh gosh," Jake muttered.

Sam giggled and Quinn grinned at her again.

"Has the baby been moving yet?" Nate asked.

Sam flicked her eyes to Jake's. His eyes were almost black in his face.

"Yes," Sam looked back at Nate. "Next time he does, I'll let you feel it."

"Are you coming out with us, Sammy?" Quinn asked.

"Yes," Sam took a sip of her juice and bit into a piece of toast. It was dripping in butter and jam.

"When are you going to visit Jen?" Jake asked. He was watching her lick her fingers.

"Maybe after the weekend," Sam murmured, her tongue coming out to lick a bit of jam that was on her lip. "Why?"

"Just concerned," Jake shrugged.

That got Sam's attention and her eyes met his.

"I'll check the weather through the mountains first," Sam promised. "Plus I'll be driving Bryan's Yukon."

Jake nodded.

Quinn and Nate were quiet as they thought about the brother they had lost. Quinn really missed his twin and said so.

"I miss the funny things he used to say," Nate murmured.

Sam felt the tears in her eyes and lowered her head. She was sad, but she wasn't frantically sad as she had been in the past.

Jake watched her as Quinn and Nate talked about Bryan. He saw the tear drip off her face before she wiped her face with Bryan's flannel shirt that she was wearing over one of his t-shirts.

Jake knew they were all healing, slow as it was.


	44. Chapter 44

**Chapter 44**

Sam was surprised when Jake showed up at Bryan's room with a game a few nights later. They hadn't played anything since the fiasco of the last time.

He held it up and Sam saw it was the same game. Jake was asking if she wanted to play. She nodded and put her book down on the table next to the bed. She wiggled as she got into position, feeling her belly as it got in the way. Sam was noticing her belly a bit more these days.

She was going to visit Jen the day after tomorrow. Jen had been excited both at the prospect of Sam visiting and the two of them going shopping.

Jake spread the gameboard over the bed and Sam resisted pushing down on the bubble. They started the game and Sam went back to being annoying with the bubble. She saw Jake's mouth twitch every time she started playing with it.

Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!

Sam pushed on the bubble in rapid time. She moved her game piece around the board, still pushing on the bubble.

Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!

"Are you twenty-two or two?" Jake growled after awhile.

She decided to tell him in pops, and started pushing the bubble down planning on pushing it 22 times.

His eyes met hers and she grinned at him as she kept pushing the bubble down. She saw the amusement in his eyes and something else a second before he launched himself at her.

Jake pinned her down and started tickling her. The game went flying off the bed. Sam shrieked in laughter, her hands trying to fight him off.

They wrestled, Jake's hands continuing to tickle her as Sam tried to stop him from tickling her. She was breathless as she laughed and screamed. She heard Jake's laughter and knew she was in trouble. He was getting into it and would continue to torture her in response to her torturing him with the popping sound.

Sam started tickling him wherever she could reach him and the two of them were laughing so hard they were hiccupping. It reminded her of the times when they were kids.

She tried to wiggle out from under him and somehow managed to do it. Now she had the advantage and started tickling him unmercifully. Normally Jake would be able to fight her off since he was so much stronger than she was, but he was laughing so hard that he couldn't.

Sam felt herself tiring. Darn, she didn't have the strength she used to since she had become pregnant. She collapsed against his chest.

"Uncle," Sam managed to breathe as she gasped for air.

Jake's breathing was ragged beneath her.

She laid her forehead on his chest as she tried to catch her breath.

"My gosh, we haven't done that in ages," Sam said lifting her head to look at him.

Jake's eyes were dark in his face as their gazes locked. A song he'd heard echoed in his brain. Over and over he heard it.

_We're the best of friends  
And we share our secrets_

_Why don't you kiss her  
Why don't you tell her  
Why don't you let her see  
The feelings that you hide  
'Cause she'll never know  
If you never show  
The way you feel inside_

Oh I'm so afraid to make that first move  
Just a touch and we  
Could cross the line  
Everytime she's near  
I wanna never let her go  
Confess to her what my heart knows  
Hold her close

His hand touched her neck, pressing her head closer to his. Their lips met, tentatively before pulling away to come together more forcefully. Jake's hands came up to tangle in her auburn hair and Sam whimpered against his mouth, wanting more, begging for more with her kiss.

Both of her hands caressed his face before stroking through his black hair. The kiss deepened as both of them let loose with the emotions they were feeling. She felt his tongue against her bottom lip and gave herself up to him.

Jake's tongue swept through the sweetness that was her mouth as his mouth moved over hers. My gosh, kissing her felt so wonderful. Then he remembered he was kissing his dead brother's girlfriend in his dead brother's room and he groaned as he pulled back from her.

"No, Sam," Jake's voice cut through Sam's brain and she realized what had happened.

She rolled away from him, her back towards him as she started to cry. Sam felt Jake get up, the bed shifting from his weight as he did so.

He didn't say anything to her, he just left the room.


	45. Chapter 45

**Chapter 45**

Sam was halfway to Jen's college by the time Jake got up the next morning. When she had recovered from kissing Jake, she had called Jen, apologizing for the late hour and asked if she could come the next day instead of waiting a day.

Jen had been thrilled and told Sam to come even though she might be at class when she arrived. Jen told her where to find a key to the apartment.

Sam had packed a small bag and set her alarm for the break of dawn. Not that she had needed her alarm since she didn't think she had slept a bit.

Why had she responded to Jake that way when they had kissed? Did this mean she didn't love Bryan anymore? Sam knew that wasn't true. She loved Bryan and always would.

He had been gone for three months now and it had been very difficult for her. She missed him with every breath she took. Now, some days were better but she knew she still loved him.

So what was she feeling for Jake? Something definitely had changed. She knew that as much as she knew she still loved Bryan.

Could someone love two different people? Of course, Bryan was dead. Jake was alive. Was that the difference?

Who exactly was she? Bryan Ely's surviving girlfriend? Or Jake Ely's wife? She was expecting Bryan's child, but she was married to Jake.

If the roles had been reversed, would she have been as giving as Bryan? Could she tell Jen to take care of Bryan and die knowing that they might end up loving each other?

Could she stand knowing that another woman might lay a hand on Bryan? Did he know this and gave his blessing to Jake when he asked his youngest brother to watch over her?

_I don't' know who I am without you, Bryan! _

Sam knew she was crying. The tears dripped off her face as she drove Bryan's Yukon towards Jen's. She was so confused. Getting away and thinking about this for a few days would do her some good, she thought.

Jake went out into the kitchen back at Three Ponies just as his mother was leaving for work.

"Hi Jake," Maxine smiled at her youngest son. "Sam will be gone for a few days."

Jake lifted his head and looked towards Bryan's room, almost as if he could see through the walls.

"Where did she go?" he asked softly.

"She decided to go see Jen," Maxine told him. "She left at the crack of dawn. Very unlike her."

Jake nodded, knowing why she had left. He had driven her away when he had gotten carried away with her last night.

At that moment, Jake hated himself. He had kissed his dead brother's girlfriend. The mother of his dead brother's child. He was lower than low. Jake felt like he had betrayed his brother.

"Are you all right, Jake?" Maxine asked, reminding him that she was still there.

"Yeah," Jake murmured. Now he could add liar to his mother to his crimes.

"I'll see you later tonight," Maxine came up to give him a kiss and left.

Jake simply nodded. He hated himself right about now.


	46. Chapter 46

**Chapter 46**

"Oh my gosh," Jen squealed upon seeing Sam. "You're really pregnant."

"Did you think I was lying?" Sam laughed, hugging her friend.

"No, but I just couldn't picture it," Jen looked down at Sam's belly. She rubbed it a bit. "My gosh, you're really pregnant."

"Stop, you're going to make me think I should be blowing water through my blowhole in a minute," Sam laughed.

Jen started to laugh and Sam hugged her friend again.

"Gosh I've missed you," the two friends said at the same time. Then they laughed again.

Jen looped her arm through Sam's and took Sam's bag from her.

"We can't have mama carrying anything," Jen chided.

Sam rolled her eyes.

"Who do you think carried it out to the Yukon?"

"Jake?" Jen guessed.

"Um, he was still sleeping when I left," Sam murmured.

"How weird is it to be living there?" Jen wondered. "Living in Bryan's room and driving his vehicle." Jen shook her head.

"Wearing his clothes," Sam pointed to his shirts that she was wearing.

"I'll worry when you start wearing his underwear," Jen joked.

Sam bit her lip and Jen apologized.

"Oh I'm sorry, honey," Jen made Sam sit down on the couch and sat next to her.

"It's okay," Sam whispered. "I'm just missing him a lot lately."

"Does it ever go away?" Jen wondered.

"Some days are worse than others," Sam confided. "I can't say anything to the Elys because they lost him too, you know?"

"I'm not sure I could do it," Jen murmured. "Sam, doesn't it get to be too much being in his room, wearing his clothes, riding his horse and driving his SUV?"

"I miss him, Jen," Sam wiped her eyes.

"I know you do," Jen hugged her friend and Sam wept in Jen's arms.

Jen handed Sam a tissue afterwards and Sam wiped her eyes and blew her nose.

"It's been awhile since you've cried for him, hasn't it?" Jen asked, wiping her own eyes.

Sam nodded.

"I feel like I can't do it often there," Sam said. "They're so strong and I'm so weak."

"You're not weak," Jen was indignant. "You're one of the strongest people I know. Not too many people could have gone through what you've been through and survived."

"Have I?" Sam asked, her voice a whisper.

"You don't think you've survived?" Jen was incredulous.

"Oh I'm surviving," Sam clarified. "But am I living?"

"I'm not sure what has you so down today, but I'm here if you ever need to talk," Jen told her. "No matter what time, day or night."

"Thanks Jen," Sam wiped her eyes and blew her nose again.

"I had planned on taking you to a new restaurant, pub like place tonight, but…," Jen broke off.

"Let's go," Sam said. "I've cried enough for today."

"It will get better, Sam," Jen promised.

"I hope so, Jen," Sam whispered. "I hope so."

Sam had to admit, she was having a good time with Jen. They had hit the local store and bought Sam a bunch of new clothes. California didn't have the winter clothes that Nevada had, but once she got further along in her pregnancy Sam wouldn't go out all that much anyway.

She was almost to the point where she wouldn't ride anymore. That was going to kill her not to be able to ride every day. What would become of Rocky? Would he feel abandoned? First Bryan had left him, now it would be her. The thought had saddened her.

Normally she would ask Jake what she could do about it, but she was confused about Jake right now. No, she couldn't think about Jake. She belonged to Bryan. Even though he was gone, she was still Bryan's. She sighed at the thought as she pushed her dinner around her plate.

Jen had taken her to the restaurant/pub and Sam had the best shrimp she had ever eaten. She hoped it wasn't too rich and she'd get sick from it.

One thing she had noticed about being pregnant, some of her favorite foods gave her heartburn. She knew it had to do with her child and she talked to him constantly about it.

"Not hungry?" Jen asked, noticing that Sam was just pushing her food around on her plate and not really eating.

"The baby gives me heartburn sometimes," Sam told her.

"We can box it up and take it back to the apartment for later," Jen suggested.

"No, I don't want to take a chance on it going bad," Sam shook her head. "I really don't want a bout of food poisoning right now. He's already got my stomach upset, I can't imagine food poisoning."

"So you found out it's a he?" Jen asked.

"Not yet," Sam shook her head. "I go in a couple of weeks."

"What if it's a girl?" Jen wondered. "I know you're counting on a boy."

"I am," Sam nodded. "I don't know what I'll do if it's a girl."

"Sex change?" Jen teased.

Sam snorted and the two friends laughed.

"This is why I love you Jen Kenworthy," Sam told her. "You make me laugh when I need to."

"If you're done, let's go into the pub," Jen suggested. "There's an awesome female singer playing there this weekend."

"Okay," Sam agreed and the two of them paid their bill and headed into the pub next door.


	47. Chapter 47

**Chapter 47**

The two friends sat in the middle of the crowd listening to the woman sing, accompanied by herself on the piano. Sam really liked her. She was sort of bluesy or folk which usually wasn't the type of music Sam liked. Maybe she struck a cord with Sam because of everything she had been going through and feeling.

"Thank you everyone for coming and this is my latest song that was just released," the singer said into the microphone.

The first chord of the piano was struck and Sam felt as if she had been struck by lightening. Every hair on her body stood up on end. She was sobbing by the end of the first verse.

Jen glanced at her, confused at Sam's reaction and more than a little concerned. She knew that Sam's emotions had been just below the surface for awhile. Maybe getting it all out was good for her. Jen didn't know.

Sam shut her eyes, leaned her head back and mouthed the words. Though she had never heard the song before, she knew the words. She saw Bryan in her mind as she sang, sobbing the words to herself.

When the song ended, Sam was exhausted. Jen could see it and helped Sam up and drove her back to her apartment.

"Are you sure you don't want to sleep in my bed and I'll sleep out here?" Jen asked.

"No, I'm fine out here," Sam assured her friend. "Thanks Jen."

"You're welcome," Jen smiled at Sam and hugged her. "I hope your night is peaceful."

"For a change," Sam said with a short laugh.

The two said goodnight to each other and Jen shut out the lights. Sam got undressed, putting Bryan's t-shirt on over her pajama bottoms. Even though his clothes didn't smell like him anymore, she had gotten in the habit of wearing his shirts and liked to do so.

Sam lay down on the couch and was surprised that it was as comfortable as it was. She fell asleep almost immediately.

At first Sam didn't dream, but then she saw a man standing in front of her singing. She knew even before she saw his face in her dream that it was Bryan. That was weird. Bryan had never sung to her. He was singing parts of that song she had heard tonight.

When she tried to run to him, he eluded her. She begged him to let her hug him, but he wouldn't let her.

Was he mad because she had kissed Jake? He didn't or wouldn't tell her. He just kept singing that song. Over and over he would sing bits and pieces of that song until Sam wanted him to stop. She put her hands over her ears and told him she wasn't listening to him sing anymore.

Bryan forced her hands away from her ears and made her listen.

_'Cos I dont know who I am, who I am without you  
All I know is that I should_

_And I don't know if I could stand another hand upon you  
All I know is that I should  
'Cos he will love you more than I can  
He who dares to stand where I stood_

Why are you changing the lyrics, Bryan? Bryan, please let me hug you.

_And I won't be far from where you are if ever you should call  
You meant more to me than anyone I ever loved at all_

Sam made one last grab for him, but he eluded her again and walked away from her. She started screaming his name.

"Bryan! Bryan! Don't leave me, please don't leave me!" Sam screamed. "Bryan!"

Jen heard the bloodcurdling screams and bounded out of bed. The hair on the back of her neck was standing up and her body was covered in goosebumps as she ran to her friend.

"Bryan!"

"Bryan!"

"Sam, it's just a dream," Jen shook her friend. "Wake up Sam, wake up."

"Bryan!" Sam screamed again and again. "I can't hear his voice anymore. Bryan!"

No matter what Jen did, Sam kept screaming out Bryan's name. Jen was concerned for Sam's sanity at this point and worried about the baby she carried. She called a friend to help her and the two of them got Sam into the backseat of Bryan's Yukon and Jen drove Sam to the emergency room at the closest hospital.

Sam continued to scream out Bryan's name the whole trip and Jen was sure that Samantha had completely lost it and might have to be committed.


	48. Chapter 48

**Chapter 48**

"Hello?"

"Jake, it's Jen," Jen wiped the sweat off of her forehead. She had just spent the worst night of her life and she was trying to recover from it.

"What's wrong?" Jen could hear the fear in Jake's voice.

"Sam had a break down," Jen told him.

"What?" Jake shouted. "What kind of break down?"

"She started screaming Bryan's name and wouldn't stop," Jen murmured. "Bloodcurdling screams."

Jake groaned. "Where is she now?"

"Here," Jen told him. "They had to sedate her even though she's pregnant."

"What?" Jake shouted again. "How's the baby?"

Jen heard voices in the background and knew that Jake's family was asking what was going on.

"The baby seems okay," Jen couldn't help shrugging even though Jake wouldn't be able to see it. "They had her on a fetal monitor last night."

"We'll be there in three hours," Jake told Jen.

"Jake, they're expecting snow in the mountains," Jen warned him.

"I don't care," Jake snarled. "Tell her I'm coming."

The phone connection broke off and Jen looked at the dead phone in her hand. What an arrogant idiot he was! She threw her phone down on the couch and went to tell Sam that Jake was on his way even though she doubted Sam would understand.

"What's wrong Jake?" Maxine asked as Jake hung up.

"That was Jen," Jake strode towards where his coat was hung and shrugged it on. "Sam had a breakdown last night."

"What?" Maxine put her hand over her mouth.

"What kind of breakdown?" his father asked. "Jake, calm down and tell us."

"I have to get to her," Jake choked up.

"You're not going anywhere until you tell us what is going on," Luke warned him.

Jake let out a sigh, balling up his hands into a fist. He stared down at his hands. He hadn't been able to make a fist since the fire. Jake didn't want to hurt his family with his news, but knew he had to.

"She started screaming Bryan's name and wouldn't stop," Jake looked at his mother at her cry. "They sedated her."

"What?" Maxine yelped. "She's pregnant."

"Yes, I know that Mother," Jake said and then apologized at his mother's hurt look.

"I need to leave," Jake started towards the door.

"I'm going with you," Quinn grabbed his coat.

"Me too," Nate grabbed his own coat.

Maxine and Luke watched as their three sons ran out into the yard. Then it looked like they were arguing about something. It was obvious that Jake didn't win the argument when Nate pushed him towards Quinn's Tahoe and Jake got in the backseat.

Quinn tore out of Three Ponies towards Jen's college as Jake sat in the backseat worried about the woman who was his wife. She had been through so much and he vowed somehow to make it better for her if he could.

As the hours passed, Jake didn't say much, continuing to think about Sam. He was worried about her baby. Surely the doctors wouldn't take a chance with sedation if it could harm the baby, would they? She had to have this child.

Quinn stopped once to pick up some fast food. Even though Jake wasn't very hungry, he ate the burger and drank the soft drink. He wasn't sure what he would find when they got to Jen's and it might be awhile before he was able to leave Sam long enough to eat.

Jake sighed. He wanted her back at Three Ponies. Maybe being where Bryan had lived would comfort her.

"We're about 15 minutes out," Nate turned in his seat to tell Jake.

Jake just nodded, looking out the window without really seeing anything.


	49. Chapter 49

**Chapter 49**

"Thank goodness you're here," Jen opened the door, hugging Nate and Quinn. Jake pushed past her into the apartment.

"Where is she?" he wanted to know.

Normally, Jen would give him some grief for ignoring her and pushing into her apartment, but she knew he was worried about Sam. Jen would think about just how worried he was later.

Now she led him into her bedroom where Sam was sleeping, still under sedation.

Jake looked at her as she lay there. She looked so small and so vulnerable.

_Oh baby._

He went to her and sat on the bed next to her.

"Sam," he murmured to her, his hand shaking her shoulder.

Jake saw her eyelids flutter.

"Sam," he bent down closer to her and Jen had her answer. Jake loved Sam. There was no doubt about it. Jen was surprised. Then she surprised herself by leaving them alone.

Jake felt Jen leave the room and took Sam into his arms, scooting back until his back leaned against the wall. Sam leaned into him as he held her.

"Sam, wake up baby," Jake murmured to her.

"Bryan?" Sam's words were slurred.

Jake's heart broke for her.

"No baby, it's Jake," Jake told her.

"Jake?" her eyes opened and she looked up at him.

"Hi," Jake smiled down at her.

"Where am I?" Sam asked, starting to lift her head from his chest.

Jake put his hand against her head, keeping her head down.

"You're at Jen's," Jake informed her. "What do you remember?"

Sam shook her head and groaned.

"Do you feel up to going home?" Jake asked.

"Home?" Sam whispered.

"Three Ponies," Jake clarified for her.

"Bryan," Sam said.

"Shhh," Jake urged her. "We'll talk about Bryan once we get home, okay? Right now, you and your baby are more important."

Sam nodded vaguely.

"Okay, you rest and I'll come get you when we're ready all right?" Jake asked.

Sam nodded again and Jake could feel her starting to slip away again. He eased himself away from her and tucked her back into bed before going out of the room.

"How is she?" Quinn asked.

"She okay?" Nate asked at the same time.

Jake was touched at how concerned both of his brothers were about Sam.

"She fell back asleep," Jake told them. "I want to get her home."

Both of his brothers nodded.

"Can you drive the Yukon?" Nate asked.

"No," Jake shook his head. "I'd appreciate it if you drove us. I'll stay in the backseat with her."

"Sounds good," Nate said. Jen went and got the Yukon's keys and handed them to Nate.

"Thanks Jen," Jake turned to Sam's friend.

"Just take care of her Jake," Jen responded and Jake knew that Jen understood how he felt about her. It reminded him of what he had told Bryan when he realized how much Bryan had loved Sam.

"I will," Jake promised and for the first time in their lives, Jen and Jake actually liked each other.


	50. Chapter 50

**Chapter 50**

"How is she?" Maxine asked as Jake carried Sam into the house.

"Sedated," Jake told her, heading down to Bryan's room.

"I'm calling Dr. Edwards," Maxine said as she followed Jake. "Has she come around at all?"

"Off and on," Jake told her as he laid her down on Bryan's bed.

"My goodness, she looks so small," Maxine murmured. "Is the baby all right?"

"I felt it move on the way home," Jake assured her.

"Oh thank goodness," Maxine sighed.

Jake nodded.

"What happened?" Maxine asked.

"She started screaming Bryan's name," Jake looked down on his mother, seeing her pale. He saw the tears in her eyes before she looked away.

"Oh gosh," Maxine barely whispered.

"She's been under a lot of stress lately," Jake rubbed the back of his neck.

"How so?" Maxine asked.

Jake didn't elaborate. Somehow Maxine knew. She put her hand on her youngest son's arm.

"She needs you Jake," Maxine told him. "I'm not sure what happened and frankly I don't care. As much as it pains me, Bryan is gone." Maxine's voice caught and she took a minute before she went on.

"You are not," Maxine continued. "You love her and she knows that deep down and it probably scares her."

"I don't…," Jake began.

"Oh Jake, quit fooling yourself and treating me like I'm stupid," Maxine scoffed, shocking Jake enough that his jaw dropped. Finally he nodded.

"She more than likely feels she's being disloyal to Bryan if she cares about you," Maxine went on. "Somehow we have to convince her that she's not."

Maxine's voice caught again and Jake had to turn away as she tried to get herself collected again.

"She wants to name the baby Bryan," Jake told her.

Maxine's lips trembled.

"Could you handle that?" Jake asked.

"Yes," Maxine managed.

Jake nodded. "I'll let her know when she's more alert."

"I miss him," Maxine confessed and Jake nodded. He put his arm around his tiny mother and she leaned into him. She couldn't remember Jake ever offering comfort like this. She credited it to Samantha and how he cared for her.

"I miss him too," Jake sighed.

"Do you still have the nightmares?" Maxine asked.

"Not so much," Jake shook his head.

"Now we have to make it so she doesn't either," Maxine said.

"She might never get over it," Jake pointed out.

"I understand that," Maxine sniffed. "I'll never get over it."

Jake nodded.

"Stay with her Jake," Maxine hugged her youngest son. "Let her know how much you do care about her."

"She knows," Jake said.

"Stay with her anyway," Maxine told him.

"I will," Jake responded.

Maxine gave his cheek a kiss and left him with his wife.

"Oh Brat," Jake sighed as he looked down on her as she slept.

She stirred and Jake sat down on the bed, tenderly brushing back her hair from her face.

"Jake?" Sam opened one eye and looked up at him.

He was grateful that she knew it was him.

"Yeah," Jake nodded.

She rolled over slightly so she could see him with both eyes.

"I can't hear his voice anymore," Sam whimpered.

Jake moved towards the head of the bed, leaning up against the wall. Sam scooted closer to him and he put his arm around her.

"He'll always be part of you somehow, Brat," Jake told her.

"I can't smell him anymore," Sam's voice was almost a wail.

"I'm sorry," Jake murmured.

"I dreamt he sang to me," Sam went on.

"Bryan sang?" Jake was surprised.

"In my dream," Sam said. "The song was sad."

Jake only nodded.

"Though he told me he'd never be far from me," Sam murmured.

"He won't be," Jake told her.

"I'm afraid, Jake," Sam whispered.

"About what?"

"I'll forget him," Sam started to sniffle and he knew she was crying.

"You'll never forget him," Jake was sure. "None of us will."

"I'm not so sure," Sam sobbed.

"Samantha Anne, you'll be having his baby in the spring," Jake reminded her. "How could you ever forget him?"

He let Sam cry herself out as he held her, wanting to comfort her. Hoping he could comfort her. Finally he felt her relax against him as she fell asleep again.

Then and only then did Jake tighten his arms around her and vow on his life to always protect her from harm, whether she ever returned his love or not.

© 2008 - LB

Characters © - Terri Farley


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